WORD FAMILIES

Word families are words that look alike but have different endings.
ROOT WORD:
ENDINGS:
WORDS:
nation
-al
national
-ize
nationalize
-ly
nationally
-ity
nationali ty
These endings (-ai, -ize, -ly, -ity, -ful, -SiOIl, etc.) change the original word to either a
noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. For example, the word care can be made into an
adjective (careful) or an adverb (carefully).
STRATEGIES FOR WORD FAMILY ITEMS
ASK YOURSElF THESEQUESTIONS:
Do you need a noun? If so, does the ending make the word a noun?
Noun endings: -alIce, -ancy, -enee, -at ion, -dam, -islll, -ment, -/less, -ship,
-or, -er, -io/l
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[I was sorry to hear about his ill.)
1was sorry to hear about his illness.
Do you need an adjective? If so, does the ending make the word an
adjective?
Adjective endings: -able, -ible, -ai, -fiLl, -ish, -ive
INCORRECT [This is a wonder report!]
CORRECT This is a wonderful report!
Do you need an adverb? If so, does the ending make the word an
adverb?
Adverb endings: -ly, -ward, -wise
INCORRECT [She entered the data very careful.]
CORRECT She entered the data very carefully.
Do you need a verb? If so, does the ending make the word a verb?
Verb endings: -en, -ifij, -ize
INCORRECT [We are going to wide the parking lat.)
CORRECT We are going to widen the parking lot.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES 109
SIMILAR WORDS
Similar words are often confusing if they have similar meanings but cannot be
interchanged. Sometimes they have the same root, prefix, or suffix. Sometimes they
have similar spelling. The grammatical structure and the meaning of the sentence will
help you determine which iscorrect.
STRATEGIES FOR SIMILAR WORD ITEMS
ASK YOURSELF THESEQUESTIONS:
Many words seemsimilar because they contain similar letters. Do the
other words in the sentence help you understand the meaning of the
word?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[The manager will except the gift.]
The manager will accept the gift.
Some words can refer to the same topic but have different meanings.
Do you know the different meanings of aword?
INCORRECT [Do you have change for aten-dollar currency?]
CORRECT Do you have change for a ten-dollar bill?
Some words have similar spellings, but they have very different mean-
ings or are different parts of speech. Can you tell the difference?
INCORRECT [The athlete does not want to loose the race.]
CORRECT The athlete does not want to lose the race.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES III
PREPOSITIONS
Small words that introduce phrases are prepositions. Prepositional phrases show time,
placement, direction, cause, and location.
STRATEGIES FOR PREPOSITION ITEMS
ASK YOURSElF THESEQUESTIONS:
Doyou need torefer toaspecific time? If so, isthepreposition at?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[Themorning shift starts on 9:00.]
The morning shift starts at 9:00.
Doyou need torefer toaspecificday? If so, isthepreposition on?
INCORRECT [Theconference will beheld ~Friday.]
CORRECT Theconference will beheld on Friday.
Doyou need torefer toaspecificdate? If so, isthepreposition on?
INCORRECT [Thecontract deadline is in February 10.]
CORRECT Thecontract deadline ison February 10
Doyou need totalk about aspecificcity? If so, isthepreposition in?
INCORRECT [Our headquarters are at Baltimore.]
CORRECT Our headquarters are in Baltimore.
Doyou know themeaning of thepreposition? Isthepreposition
logical?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[Theletter was written fromhis secretary.]
Theletter was written ~ his secretary.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES 113
CONJUNCTIONS
Words, phrases, and clauses arejoined by words called conjunctions.
Coordinate conjunctions join two equal terms: and, or, nor, but.
Subordinate conjunctions join two clauses: although, since, because, when, before, etc.
STRATEGIES FOR CONJ UNCTION ITEMS
ASK YOURSELF THESEQUESTIONS:
Do you need tojoin two nouns, two adjectives, two prepositional
phrases, or any equal terms? If so, is there acoordinate conjunction
joining them?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[The president also his assistant are coming.]
The president and his assistant are coming.
Do you need tojoin two sentences? If so, is there acoordinate
conjunction joining them?
INCORRECT [I can make the copies too John can collate the
pages.)
CORRECT I can make the copies, and John can collate the
pages.
Do you need tojoin adependent clause with an independent clause?
If so, is there asubordinate conjunction joining them?
INCORRECT [But he had asuggestion, he didn't raise his
hand.]
CORRECT Although he had asuggestion, he didn't raise
his hand.
Do you understand the meanings of the conjunctions and of the other
words in the sentence? Isthe sentence logical? Does it make sense?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[1know him but his wife.]
1know him and his wife.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES 115
ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
Adverbs of frequency can bedivided into two groups: adverbs of definite frequency
such as every day, annually, twice a week and adverbs of indefinite frequency such as
always, rarely, never.
STRATEGIES FOR ADVERB OF FREQUENCY ITEMS
ASK YOURSElF THESEQUESTIONS:
Are you sure of the position of the adverb? Isthere adefinite frequency
adverb? If so, remember that adefinite frequency adverb usually goes
at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
INCORRECT [Mr. Escobar walks every day to work.]
CORRECT Mr. Escobar walks to work every day.
Are you sure of the position of the adverb? Is there an indefinite
frequency adverb? If so, there are three possibilities to remember: the
adverb goes after be (He is always busy.); the adverb goes before all
other simple verbs (He always eats lunch.); the adverb goes between
the first auxiliary and the main verb inacomplex verb form (He has
always liked you.).
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[He always is working late.]
He is always working late.
Do you understand the finer meanings of the adverb? Is the sentence
logical?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[There is~ time before the seminar begins.]
There is still time before the seminar begins.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES 117
CAUSATIVE VERBS
When someone makes something happen, you use acausative verb to show this. Look
carefully at the formof the verb inthe clause that follows the causative verb. Some
causative verbs areget, make, have, order, want.
STRATEGIES FOR CAUSATIVE VERB ITEMS
ASK YOURSELF THESEQUESTIONS:
Does the subject of the noun clause that follows the causative verb
perform the action? If so, is the verb after that noun clause the simple
form, the infinitive form, or the present participle formof the verb?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
INCORRECT
CORRECT
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[I had my coworker helped me.]
1had my coworker help me.
[I got my coworker help me.]
1got my coworker to help me.
[The supervisor had him stocked shelves all
day.]
The supervisor had him stocking shelves all day.
Does the subject of the noun clause that follows the causative verb
receive the action? If so, is the verb after that noun clause the past
participle (-ed/-ell) formof the verb?
INCORRECT [Mr. Watson wants the report rewrote soon.]
CORRECT Mr. Watson wants the report rewritten soon.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES 119
CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
There are two parts to aconditional sentence: the condition (if) and the result. There
are also two types of conditional sentences: real and unreal (contrary-to-fact).
REAL CONDITION RESULT
If you come before the meeting, we'll have time to talk.
UNREAL CONDITION RESULT
If my windows were larger, I would get more light.
STRATEGIES FOR CONDITIONAL SENTENCE ITEMS
ASK YOURSELFTHESEQUESTIONS:
Is it a real condition? If so, is the verb in the if clause in the simple
present or present progressive form? Is the verb in the result in the
present, future, or imperative form?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[If Gianni will be there, we'll give him the
message.]
If Gianni ~ there, we'll give him the message.
Is it an unreal condition in the present using the verb be? If so, is was or
were the form of be that is used?
INCORRECT
CORRECT
[If she ~ the boss, she would hire him.]
If she was/were the boss, she would hire him.
Is it an unreal condition in the present or future tense? If so, is the verb
in the condition in the present subjunctive form? Does the verb in the
result contain would or could +the simple (base) form?
INCORRECT [If humans have two heads, they couldn't make
decisions easil y.]
CORRECT If humans had two heads, they couldn't make
decisions easily.
INCOMPLETE SENTENCES 121