A suffix is a group of letters that is added to the end of a root word to create a new word. Unless like prefixes, suffixes often change the word's grammatical function.

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For example, "kind," "gentle," and "clever" are all adjectives that can be transformed into nouns with the suffix "-ness," which turns adjectives into abstract states. "Darkness" is the state of being dark. 

More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.

Caption 23, Charlie Chaplin: Final Speech from The Great Dictator

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Should you need a light in darkness to help you find your way.

Caption 43, Air New Zealand: An Unexpected Briefing

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Other suffixes that are used to create nouns are "-ist," "-tion," "-ion," "-ance," "-ence," "-ation," "-ment," "-ity," "-dom," and "-ship." 

And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Captions 58-60, Steve Jobs: Stanford Commencement Address

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Suffixes that are used to create verbs include "-fy," "-ate," "-en," and "-ize." For example, the verb "clarify" means "to make clear." 

We need to be clearer about this and clarify the decision-making process for everybody.

Caption 31, Business English: Decision Making in International Companies

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I like using acidic ingredients to brighten up heavy, rich, creamy dishes.

Caption 42, Rainbow Plant Life; 10 Tiny Changes to Improve Your Cooking

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Pizza is a popular item and numerous restaurant chains specialize in pizza.

Captions 18-19, Slow News with Sigrid Pizza: the dollar slice

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There are many suffixes that are found at the end of adjectives, such as "-ful" (which implies "full of") and "-less" ("without").

But, there are numerous more hopeful answers.

Caption 16, TED-Ed Questions: No One Knows the Answers to

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You've probably had those moments of despair, where you think it's just hopeless.

Captions 34-35, Living the Change: Official Documentary Trailer

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Other adjective-forming suffixes you will commonly see include "-able" / "-ible," "-al" / "-ial," "-ious" / "-ous," "-ive," "-en," "-ic," "-ical", and "-ish." Here, you can see adjectives meaning the following: like a poem, consisting of facts, made of wood, and possible to do. 

Doesn't sound quite as poetic, does it?

Caption 7, TED-Ed: The Science of Attraction

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They need to make sure the information is true, factual.

Caption 24, Spotlight: Information

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Gee, do they still make wooden Christmas trees?

Caption 6, A Charlie Brown Christmas Christmas Tree

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The verb is "to do." The adjective is "doable."

Caption 36, The Alphabet The Letter L - Part 1

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Further Learning
To review the adverb-forming suffix "-ly", you can read this lesson. Otherwise, you'll find many suffixes to study on Yabla English. 

One topic that can even be confusing for native English speakers is the difference between the verbs "to lie" and "to lay."  And it's no wonder—both of these verbs can refer to being in a reclined, horizontal position, but they also have other meanings. Not only that, their conjugations in the past tense are really quite tricky!

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A difference to remember is that "to lay" is a transitive verb and requires a direct object, whereas "to lie" is intransitive and does not require a second noun in the sentence. "To lie" can mean to say something that isn't truthful, or it can mean to recline or be in a resting position. While these verbs look the same in the present tense, the past tense conjugation is different! Have a look:

But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise.

Caption 68, Charlie Chaplin: Final Speech from The Great Dictator

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I lied! That was three.

Caption 61, Abiventures: Sandwich

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As you lie in fields of gold.

Caption 22, Katie Melua Fields of Gold

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When he came into the room in which Sleeping Beauty lay...

Caption 23, Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty

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Although "lay" is the simple past tense of "lie" when it refers to lying down, "to lay" is also a distinct verb and means to put or place something (the direct object) down. We say "The chicken lays an egg" and "The crew lays the foundation for a house." Note the direct objects in each of the sentences below:

Don't lay our love to rest.

Caption 38, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting: All For Love

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And we will act not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.

Captions 30-31, Barack Obama's Inauguration Day: Obama's Speech

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Italian immigrants dug tunnels, laid railroad tracks, constructed bridges and roads, and erected the first skyscrapers.

Captions 36-38, Spotlight: Why Columbus Day?

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I laid four thousand and twenty eggs! -Wow!

Caption 80, Peppa Pig: Grandpa Pig's Computer

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To review:

Further Learning
In addition to memorizing the table above, you can find many examples of these verbs used in context on Yabla English.