Match root words with suffixes to create new words in this educational worksheet.

Let’s solve this step by step.

We need to match each root word with the correct suffix to make a real, common English word. Then write the new word in the box below.

Here are the roots and suffixes:

Roots:
1. free
2. great
3. great
4. grate
5. age
6. work
7. friend

Suffixes:
- est
- ly
- er
- less
- ful
- s
- ed

Now let’s think about which suffix goes with which root to make a real word.

Start with #1: “free”
→ What can we add? “freely”? Yes! That’s a word. So “free” + “ly” = freely

#2: “great”
→ Could be “greater” or “greatest” — both are real words. But we have two “great” entries (#2 and #3), so one will take “er”, one will take “est”. Let’s hold that thought.

#3: “great” again → same as above.

#4: “grate”
→ “grateful”? Yes! That’s a common word. So “grate” + “ful” = grateful

#5: “age”
→ “ages”? Yes — like “the ages of the students”. So “age” + “s” = ages

#6: “work”
→ “worker”? Yes! Or “worked”? Also yes. But let’s see what’s left. We also have “less” — “workless”? Not really common. “Worked” is good. But wait — “worker” is more likely for school level. Let’s check all options.

Actually, let’s list possible matches clearly:

Try matching logically:

- “free” + “ly” = freely ✔
- “great” + “er” = greater ✔
- “great” + “est” = greatest ✔
- “grate” + “ful” = grateful ✔
- “age” + “s” = ages ✔
- “work” + “er” = worker? But “er” is already used for “greater”. Wait — no, we have only one “er” suffix. Oh! There’s only one of each suffix. So we must assign each suffix exactly once.

List of suffixes again: est, ly, er, less, ful, s, ed → 7 total.

So let’s assign carefully:

1. free → ?
- freely (ly) → makes sense
2. great → ?
- greater (er) OR greatest (est)
3. great → the other one
4. grate → grateful (ful) → very common
5. age → ages (s) → simple plural
6. work → worked (ed) OR worker (er) — but if “er” is taken by “greater”, then “worked”
7. friend → friendly? No, that’s “friend” + “ly” — but “ly” is taken by “free”.
Wait — “friend” + “less” = friendless? Yes! That’s a word.
Or “friends” — but “s” is taken by “age”.

Let’s try this assignment:

1. free + ly = freely
2. great + er = greater
3. great + est = greatest
4. grate + ful = grateful
5. age + s = ages
6. work + ed = worked
7. friend + less = friendless

Check if all suffixes are used:
ly, er, est, ful, s, ed, less → YES, all 7 used.

Are all these real words?
- freely ✔
- greater ✔
- greatest ✔
- grateful ✔
- ages ✔
- worked ✔
- friendless ✔

Perfect!

Now write them in order in the boxes:

1. freely
2. greater
3. greatest
4. grateful
5. ages
6. worked
7. friendless

Final Answer:
1. freely
2. greater
3. greatest
4. grateful
5. ages
6. worked
7. friendless