This Real Grammar resources pack provides everything that you need to successfully explore adding the suffixes -er and -est to words, where no change is needed to the root word, with your pupils in Year 1 or to revisit this learning. The focus of the resources is to use these suffixes to compare, creating comparatives and superlatives. Teaching slides, worksheets, games and an opportunity to apply the new learning in a writing task are all included to create a complete KS1 resource to teach adding the suffixes -er and -est to words.
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a group of letters that can be added to the end of a word. The suffix can change the word’s meaning.
Examples of suffixes include -ing, -ed, -er and -est.
When are the suffixes -er and -est added to words?
The suffixes -er and -est are added to words to create adjectives that can compare things. When comparing two things, the suffix -er is used to form a comparative. If more than two things are compared, we add the suffix -est to create a superlative.
- My sister is taller then me but my brother is the tallest.
- I can jump higher than you.
- A sloth is the slowest animal on earth.
The suffix -er can also be used to create nouns.
- Who is the owner of the coat?
- Mary will be your helper today.
- The singer joined the band on stage.
What are the rules when adding the suffixes -er and -est to words?
In Year 1, the focus is on adding suffixes to words where no change is needed to the root word. Rules for adding -er and -est to other words (first introduced in Year 2) are below.
Doubling the consonant
When the word has a single vowel making the short vowel sound /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ and ends in a single consonant, we double the last letter. These words usually have only one syllable. For example, the word big becomes bigger or biggest.
Words ending in ‘e’
When a word ends in an ‘e’, we drop the ‘e’ before adding the suffix -er and -est. For example, the word large becomes larger or largest.
Words ending in ‘y’
For words ending in a consonant followed by a ‘y’, the ‘y’ is changed to an ‘i’ before adding the suffix -er and -est. For example, tidy becomes tidier or tidiest.
What is included in this resource pack?
TEACHThis section includes PowerPoint teaching slides and teaching notes with an optional script to introduce adding the suffixes -er and -ing to words. It can also be used to revisit this aspect of grammar with pupils.
PRACTISEAn independent activity for pupils to practise using what they have been taught, allowing teachers to assess understanding.
REVISITA series of short, 10-minute activities that can be used following the TEACH session to revisit and rehearse what has been taught. These may be short writing tasks, grammar games or editing/proofreading activities.
APPLYA short writing task where pupils can use the grammar skills taught in context to produce independent writing.
REVISEThree SATs style test questions, including cloze activities and multiple choice quiz questions, based on the grammar that has been taught.
Teachers can choose which section of the resource pack to use according to their pupils’ needs and could use the activities over a series of lessons or weeks
Teacher notes are provided to show how these quality resources could be used with pupils.
How is this resource pack differentiated?
The PRACTISE and REVISE sections include three activities differentiated for three levels of ability:
- Worksheet 1 for pupils who may need support. Questions will have a lower cognitive domain (what is being asked of pupils) and/or vocabulary used may be simplified where possible.
- Worksheet 2 for pupils working at age related expectations.
- Worksheet 3 for pupils who may need an additional challenge and may be working at a greater depth in this area. Questions will have a higher cognitive domain with more challenging vocabulary.
SUPPORT and CHALLENGE ideas are also included in the teacher notes of each section where relevant, with ideas of how to support pupils working towards the expected standard or at greater depth in this area.
What pupil-facing resources are included?
- APPLY
Writing scaffold, word mat
- REVISE
PPT slides; Revise 1, Revise 2 and Revise 3 worksheets
Answer sheets for all worksheets are provided, where appropriate.