Name _______________________________________

Lesson 22 Base word changes


enter -- entrance four -- forty
winter -- wintry curious -- curiosity
monster -- monstrous generous -- generosity
disaster -- disastrous      
remember -- remembrance explain -- explanation
hunger -- hungry maintain -- maintenance
      detain -- detention


Look at the word pairs in each group. Notice that the second word in each pair has lost a vowel or vowels from its base form.

1.

When the base form of the first group of words is changed, what happens to the er? _ ___________________________________________

 

2.

In the next group of words, the ou changes. What letter is dropped in these three words? _____

 

3. In the last three words, the ai changes. How many words keep the letter a and drop the i? _____ What happens to the ai in the other words? ___________________________________________________

Lesson Generalization

A few common words change the spelling of the base word in an unusual way when a suffix is added. These unexpected spellings result from dropped or changed vowels. Invent mnemonic devices, such as these, for troublesome words.

Plan your explanation.
  • I get hungry on wintry nights.
  • It was monstrous and disastrous.
  • He came through the entrance in a trance.
  • Her generosity was a curiosity.

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