Final answer:
Suffixes are important because they can change the part of speech of a word. They can also alter the tense, turn a verb into an adjective or noun, and affect the plurality or possession of a noun.
Step-by-step explanation:
Importance of Suffixes in English
It is necessary to pay attention to suffixes because they affect the part of speech of a word. Suffixes are a set of letters that you add to the end of a root word to create a new meaning or function.
For example, the suffix -s can pluralize a noun or indicate the third person singular in verbs, as in cats or laughs. Other suffixes like -ed and -ing alter the tense of a verb (played, playing), while suffixes such as -able and -ible can turn a verb into an adjective (enjoyable, acceptable).
Additionally, some suffixes can change the meaning of a word to be more positive or negative, although these functions are not as common as altering the grammatical role of the word.
Suffixes like -ment, -ion, and -ty often turn verbs into nouns (enjoyment, action, clarity). Understanding suffix rules, such as the Twinning or Doubling Rule and the Final (e) Deletion Rule, is crucial for correct spelling and interpretation.