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      Creating adjectives using the suffixes -al and -ic

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can spell words using the suffixes -al and -ic.

      Key learning points

      1. The suffixes -al and -ic create adjectives.
      2. When the root word ends in a consonant, usually just add the suffix.
      3. When the root word ends in ‘e’, remove the ‘e’ and add the suffix.
      4. When the root word ends in 'y', remove the 'y' and add the suffix -ic.
      5. How to spell the curriculum words: physical, natural and actual.

      Keywords

      • Root word - a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning

      • Suffix - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes

      • Adjective - describes a noun

      Common misconception

      Pupils may use 'ck' to representing the 'c' phoneme at the end of the word after a short vowel, like 'stick' and 'trick'.

      Explain that in most words where the 'c' is at the end, it is represented as 'ck'. As this is a suffix, it doesn't follow usual rules. If we can spot a root word, and know that the new word is an adjective it will most likely be spelt 'ic'.

      Teacher tip

      Spend time saying the root word and the word with the suffix; discuss the pronunciation changes, such as in history and historic to help children identify and link the root words. Place words into sentences to identify the word class.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the word to its definition.

      Correct Answer:verb,doing, being or having word
      Correct Answer:adjective,describes a noun
      Correct Answer:noun,a naming word for a person, place or thing
      Correct Answer:adverb,a word that describes or gives more information about a verb
      Correct Answer:suffix,a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word

      Q2.
      Match the word to the suffix it contains.

      Correct Answer:hopeful,-ful
      Correct Answer:kindness,-ness
      Correct Answer:equality,-ity
      Correct Answer:personal,-al

      Q3.
      Match the word to its definition.

      Correct Answer:globe,a spherical representation of the Earth
      Correct Answer:global,related to the globe
      Correct Answer:nature,the natural word
      Correct Answer:natural,existing in the natural world

      Q4.
      Match the word to its definition.

      Correct Answer:accident,an unintentional harmful event
      Correct Answer:accidental,happening unintentionally
      Correct Answer:season,a time of the year with specific conditions
      Correct Answer:seasonal,related to a specific season

      Q5.
      Match the word to its definition.

      Correct Answer:athlete,someone engaged in sports
      Correct Answer:athletic,being sporty or related to sports
      Correct Answer:allergy,an immune reaction to something
      Correct Answer:allergic,being sensitive to a substance

      Q6.
      Match the word to its definition.

      Correct Answer:angel,a spiritual being
      Correct Answer:angelic,resembling an angel's qualities
      Correct Answer:terrify,to cause extreme fear
      Correct Answer:terrific,extremely good or excellent

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the root word of 'personal'?

      son
      al
      per
      Correct answer: person

      Q2.
      What is the root word of 'angelic'?

      an
      gel
      ic
      Correct answer: angel
      gelic

      Q3.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the sentence. I was feeling very emoshunle that afternoon.

      Correct Answer: emotional

      Q4.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the sentence. It was a turifick trip to the zoo.

      Correct Answer: terrific

      Q5.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the sentence. I am ulerjick to nuts

      Correct Answer: allergic

      Q6.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the sentence. Climate change is a glowble issue.

      Correct Answer: global

      To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Creating adjectives using the suffixes -al and -ic, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...