Agent Suffix Sort

Agent suffixes

Agent suffixes are added to verbs to create agent nouns. Agent nouns are the person or thing "doing" the verb.

<-er>

farm + er --> farmer write/ + er --> writer hit (t) + er --> hitter carry (i) + er --> carrier Be cautious not to confuse with comparative suffix <-er>, as in funnier and sadder!

<-ist>

solo + ist --> soloist cycle/ + ist --> cyclist fine/ + al + ist --> finalist colony (i) + ist --> colonist ge + o + loge/ + ist --> geologist Be cautious not to confuse with superlative suffix <-est>, as in happiest and strangest.

Other

Other agent suffixes include <-ee> (employee, referee), <-ier> (cashier, brigadier), <-eer> (puppeteer, auctioneer), and the old-fashioned <-ess> (hostess, stewardess).

<i> + <-an>

civil + i + an --> civilian polit + ic + i + an --> politician Rome/ + an --> Roman (note: no connecting <I> needed) vale/ + e + dict + ory (i) + an --> valedictorian

<-or>

tail + or --> tailor (not the same as "hind appendange!") em + pere/ + or --> emperor ad + vise/ + or --> advisor in + spect + or --> inspector Found on words of Latin origin, but not always used on all Latin bases! May be spelled <-our>.

Hover over each suffix to see examples.Click on each link to learn more.

© OneStepNow Education 𓊍

Solution

<-or>

<-er>

dictate

drive

bat

work

collect

fact

create

actor; conductor; creator; factor; collector; dictator

teach

banker; reader; teacher; worker; batter; driver

conduct

read

bank

act

Drag each word to the correct agent suffix. Then write and complete the word sum. (Note any changes!)

© OneStepNow Education 𓊍

Click on the plus signs for hints.

Solution

<-ist>

<i> + <-an>

act + ive

bi + o + loge

tour

veget + ary

techn + ic

history

custody

scientist; florist; chemist; tourist; biologist; activist

chem

librarian; musician; custodian; historian; technician; vegetarian

music

flor

libr + ary

sci + ent

Drag each partial word sum to the correct agent suffix. Then write and complete the word sum. (Note any changes!)

© OneStepNow Education 𓊍

Click on the plus signs for hints.

Words that take the agent suffix <ist> will often have a counterpart in words with the suffix <-ism>:journalist/journalismsocialist /socialismThis suffix also shows up a lot in musical professions (violinst, pianist) and scientific professions (botanist, psychologist)

Agent suffix <-ist>

This is the most frequent agent suffix in English. It is still productive today.

Agent suffix <-er>

Watch your suffixing conventions when using this suffix.Sometimes the connecting vowel letter <i> isn't needed, as in republican.Sometimes the <i> was a <y> in the base or stem, as in comedian.Sometimes, the base is contracted as in American or Mexican.

Agent suffix <i> + <an>

This suffix is typically found on words or bases of Latin origin. However, just because a base is from Latin does not mean it requires the suffix <-or>. Sometimes if you can add a suffix <-ion> to the base, you can also add agent suffix <-or>, as in actor/action or professor/profession. However, this is not always the case, doctor/*doction.Another rule of thumb says if you can add the suffix <-ate>, it will also take an agent suffix <-or>, as in alternate/alternator.

Latinate suffix <-or>