1. English Center Tutor Training ESOL
Word Families
English Center Tutor Training
ESOL

2. Table of Contents
These slides describe word families. This PowerPoint is adapted from the ESOL program at City College.

3. Introduction
Whenever you learn a new word, you should try to learn the related words in its word family. This will increase your vocabulary and reduce your errors. In BE9, each chapter of your Folse textbook and both our units of WR1 include word family charts for you to memorize. You should also create your own word family charts for most new words you learn. As you go through the presentation, please answer the questions before clicking on the answer. Have fun!

4. Word Families
Word Families are words that share the same root or base form. They are usually different parts of speech. You can organize them in charts by part of speech.
Example 1: Every week I prioritize my assignments.
Example 2: My top priority this semester is passing the class.
Verb
Noun

5. Word Families success succeed successful successfully Noun
Success in school will help me get a good job.
success
She succeeds every time she tries something new.
Verb
succeed
Adjective
He is a successful lawyer.
successful
Adverb
I want to successfully complete this class.
successfully

6. Caution!
The suffixes –ing and –ed can be used to make more than one part of speech.
Example 1: I am working hard today.
Example 2: Working hard is essential.
Example 3: Today’s class bored me.
Example 4: I am not bored by grammar!
Example 5: She is boring.
Verb
Noun
Verb
Adjectives

7. Tutoring Note!
There are many other suffixes. Recognizing the more common ones will assist students in using the correct word form.
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
-tion
-ize
-ate
-ous
-ent
-ment
-ity
-en
-ful
-ness
-ify
-less
-ance
-ism
-able
-er
entertainment
heighten
outrageous

8. Let’s Practice: Complete the chart.
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
achievement
establish
strategy
motivation
impress
emphatic
prescribe
renew
reserved
organization
achieve
achievable
establishment
established
strategize
strategic
motivate
motivated; motivational
impression
impressive
emphasis
emphasize
prescription
prescribed
renewal
renewed; renewable
reservation
reserve
organize
organized

9. Why do we care about this?
Learning words as part of their word family is an efficient and organized way to learn lots more vocabulary. Knowing each major word in a word family will reduce your errors in a sentence and make your sentences less confusing because of misusing the wrong form of a word.

10. Need More Help? Get Tutoring!
A student’s sentence is I analysis the problem. There are many ways to assist him in correcting this error. Here’s one:
Tutor: What part of speech is analysis?
Student: I don’t know.
Tutor: Let’s look it up!
Student: Analysis is a noun.
Tutor: What part of speech do you need here?
Student: A verb.
Tutor: That’s right! What’s the verb form of analysis? Can you find it?
Student: Analyze.
Tutor: Great!