Vocabulary Basics for Business [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Doers

Many words that refer to "one who" does something end in a suffix that helps you recognize them as a person or thing that performs an action or receives an action. Find the words that refer to a "doer" or "receiver" of an action in the following announcement. Circle the words with those suffixes.

The librarian has asked for volunteers to work next Saturday to operate the annual book sale. Any willing helper should call the library assistant before Tuesday. We particularly need a cashier for the morning. We also need a manager to help list the books that have come in from donors. Child care will be available, including a storyteller.

Did you circle librarian, volunteers, helper, assistant, cashier, manager, donors, and storyteller?

-er, -or

The suffixes -er and -or are two of the most common suffixes that indicate the doer of an action. The -er suffix is the more common of the two; examples include manager (one who manages) and shipper (one who ships things). How would you define an investor? The -er ending sometimes appears as -ier, as in cashier (one who takes cash payments) and financier (one who is skilled in finances), or -yer, as in lawyer.

Remembering which words are spelled with -er and which with -or can be quite a challenge. Some words that use the -or ending are supervisor (one who supervises), auditor (one who examines or adjusts accounts), donor (one who gives or donates), and lessor (one who leases something to someone else).

-ant, -ent

The suffixes -ant and -ent also refer to a person or thing that performs the action of the root. The word assistant in the preceding memo contains the ending -ant, giving us assistant. A deterrent is something that deters or hinders. A confidant is someone to whom secrets are confided.

Many words with ending in -ant and -ent are not "doers," but adjectives that describe a person or thing having the quality of the root, like the describing words of Lesson 18.

The efficient assistant completed the job in a day. (The assistant is effective or accomplishes tasks in an effective and quick manner.)

The effects of that change are permanent. (The effects will remain throughout the future.)

-an, -ian, -ist, -eer

The endings -an, -ian, ist, and -eer are less common than the other suffixes that indicate the doer of an action. The -an/-ian ending indicates connection with a place, person, group, doctrine, and so on. A librarian is one who manages a library. Cuban, Bostonian, Californian, and Italian refer to a place. Republican and Libertarian refer to doctrines.

Words with the suffix -ist can refer to who does the action of the root or has to do with it professionally (sociologist, pharmacist, psychologist) or one who supports a philosophy or idea (socialist, idealist, capitalist).

An -eer ending is usually connected to a root that is an object rather than an action and indicates one who uses or operates that object. How does this help you understand auctioneer, puppeteer, or engineer?