A word that tells about an action is a verb: operate.
A word that names something is a noun: operation.
ate is a verb ending. ion is a noun ending.
1.
All of the base words end with the same three letters. What are those letters?
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Is the final e pronounced or silent? ___________________
Does the letter t have a hard sound (rate) or a soft sound (nation)?
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2.
What are the last four letters of each word after the ion suffix is added?
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What happens to the final silent e? ___________________
Does the letter t have a hard or a soft sound? ___________________
Lesson Generalization
The word ending pronounced shun is usually spelled tion. Many verbs that end with ate can be changed to nouns by adding the suffix ion. The hard t in ate becomes a soft t in tion.