Word Formation

Word Formation
What is Word?
The study of the origin and history of the word is known as
its etymology. The origin of the etymology is
in Greek (etymon original form + logia study of). The average
speakers of a language know from 45,000 to 60,000 words. The
‘word’ as a linguistic unit deserves some attention, because it is
not as straightforward as one might expect. Whenever a new
object, process or concept is discovered, a word has to be found
for it. The word can come from anywhere: from an ancient
language, from a foreign language or from the discoverer’s
imagination.
Introduction to Word Formation
The terms ‘word formation’ does not have a clear cut,
universally accepted usage. It is a process connected with
changing the form of the word. In its wider sense word
formation denotes the processes of creation of new lexical
units. To understand the word formation in detail we need to
understand the two following terminology in brief:
· Morphology: Investigating basic forms in language means
‘the study of forms’.
· Morphemes: a minimal unit of meaning or grammatical
function.
Types of Word Formation
1. Compounding:
Compounding is putting together two or more words to form a
new word. Compounding is one of the most productive
word-formation processes in English. Words, particularly
adjectives and nouns, are combined into compound structures in
a variety of ways.
One thing must be noted that the meaning of a compound is not
always the sum of the meanings of its parts. For example: olive
 oil – oil made from olives; baby oil – oil for babies and not oil
made from babies.
Some compounds have more than two component words. These
are formed by successively combining words into compounds.
For example: pick-up stand, ice-cream parlour, no-claim bonus.
Even more complex examples: top-rack dishwasher safe, beauty
product shop, micro-wave safe cookware.
2. Clipping:
Clipping or truncation (searching technique) is a process of
dropping an important portion of an existing word in order to
find only a base word to be used freely. It is a type of
abbreviation of a word in which one part is 'clipped' off the rest
and the remaining word means essentially the same thing as
what the whole word means or meant. It is the process of
reducing a word to one of its parts. It is also known as
shortening. There are four types of
clipping:
· Back clipping: This is the most common type of all. It is also
called apocopation dropping or omission of a letter or syllable
from the end of a longer word. The beginning of a word is
retained and the end of a word is chopped off. The unclipped
original word may be either a simple or a composite one. For
example: ad (advertisement), cable (cablegram), doc (doctor),
exam (examination), gas (gasoline), math (mathematics), memo
(memorandum), gym (gymnastics, gymnasium), mutt
(muttonhead), pub (public house), pop (popular concert), photo
(photograph), vamp (vampire), pants (pantaloon), Feb
(February), lab (laboratory), mike (microphone), matrix
(matriculation), hippo (hippopotamus), demo (demonstration)
· Fore-clipping: It is also called aphaeresis – the loss of one or
more sounds or letters at the beginning of a word. The final part
of a word is retained. This is less common in English. For
example: round (around), varsity (university), chute (parachute),
coon (racoon), gator (alligator), pike (turnpike), burger
(hamburger), bike (motorbike), phone (telephone), plane
(aeroplane), boat (steamboat)
· Middle clipping: Here, the middle part of a word is retained.
For example: flu(influenza), tec (detective), polly (apollinaris),
jams (pyjamas), shrink(head-shrinker), fridge (refrigerator).
· Complex clipping: Clipped forms are also used in
compounds. One part of the original compound most often
remains intact. For example: cablegram (cable telegram), opart
(optical art), org-man (organization man), linocut (linoleum cut).
3. Blending:
Blending is a popular word formation process. It involves taking
two or more words, removing parts of each and joining the
remains together to create a new word whose form and meaning
are taken from the source words.
· In blending, part of one word is stitched onto another word,
without any regard for where one morpheme ends and another
begins. The morphemes generally overlap. (motel = motor +
hotel) or Sometimes, the two elements are put together without
any overlap (brunch = breakfast + lunch).
· The beginning of the first word and the end of the last one
are put together.
e.g. bromance (brother + romance), smog (smoke + fog),
advertainment (advertisement + entertainment), Gujlish =
(Gujarati + English), Spanglish (Spanish + English)
· The beginnings of both the words are put together.
e.g. cyborg (cybernetic + organism), biopic (biographical +
picture), hazmat (hazardous + material), telex (teleprinter +
exchange)
· A whole word combined with a part of another one.
e.g. guesstimate (guess + estimate), mockumentary (mock +
documentary), cheeseburger (cheese + hamburger), mocktail
(mock + cocktail), webinar (web + seminar), carjacking (car +
hijacking), fanzine (fan + magazine)
· The blending of celebrity couple names is done.
e.g. Brangelina (Brad + Angelina), Bennifer (Ben + Jennifer),
Virushka (Virat + Anushka)
· Two words are blended around a common sequence of
sounds.
e.g. Californication (California + fornication), electrocute
(electric + execute)

Back-formation is a word creation process in which prefixes or

suffixes are removed from exist
ing words. This word formation can also be referred to as
back-derivation, as the process is simply taking the existing
word and breaking it down to a simpler form.
examplesThere are a number of examples of back-formation in
the English language, including edit (from editor), burgle (from
burglar), televise (from television), and chor
eograph (from choreography).

Affixation
Another productive process is affixation, where a derivational
suffix or prefix is attached to a word or a bound morpheme.
Neologisms often use relatively unproductive affixes. Recent
examples
include girldom, astronautess, marketeer, bejeaned, retribalize,
and circumstellar. Some neologisms use unusual bases, as
in otherize ‘make someone different from other people’.
Conversion
Conversion is a process that turns a word belonging to one part
of speech into another (e.g. noun → verb or verb → noun).
Examples of noun-to-verb conversion are to impact, to
blackhole, and to network. Examples of adjective-to-noun
conversion are a given and a nasty.

What Is A Writing Style?

A writing style is the technique an author uses to share their

communication or message with an intended audience. Although
each writer's style may differ from another, the audience is an
important part of the equation, as it is also necessary to adjust
your writing style depending on the purpose of your message
and whose reading it. For example, you may use one writing
style to persuade a customer to buy your company's product but
use another style to share a process update with internal staff.

Related: Types of Barriers in Communication

Types Of Writing Styles

Explore these four types of writing styles to understand more

about them:

1. Narrative writing

The narrative writing style is descriptive and tells a clear story

with a beginning, interval and end. Some writers in the narrative
style use foreshadowing and flashbacks as tools to engage with
their audience, and they will also use characters and dialogue to
tell a complete story. In the workplace, a sales team may use the
narrative writing style to give a sales pitch.

2. Descriptive writing

Descriptive writing is primarily focused on details of things like

a group of characters, a setting or an event. Because the goal of
this writing style is to make the reader feel as if they are
experiencing the events from the storyline for themselves, you
may use metaphors and similes to provide vivid images to the
reader. Through this descriptive language, the reader is better
able to use all five senses to create a detailed image of the story.
Many times, descriptive writings are personal, subjective and
short.

In the workplace, an example of a descriptive writing style

would be the biographies or autobiographies used to introduce
an employee. The descriptive writing style both provides
information about an event and it incorporates sensory details
into the specifics of the event, objects or things the writer is
featuring.

Here are some examples of where you may find descriptive

writing:
3. Persuasive writing

The persuasive writing style is used to convince the readers or

decision-makers to believe in the content you have produced.
Persuasive writing is grounded in research and logical
reasoning, so the writer tries to convince the readers to agree to
their views through justification and logical points. This style of
writing appeals to the reader's emotional connection and
attempts to persuade them to adopt the writer's opinions. As the
primary objective of persuasive writing is to sway a reader's
thoughts, this style of writing is often grounded in bias.

4. Expository writing

The expository writing style is one of the basic techniques of

writing used to inform the reader or describe something to them.
This style of writing is based on facts and does not account for a
writer's personal opinions on the subject. Instead, expository
writing answers readers' questions with the figures and
descriptions that support the topic. Expository writing also
usually follows a logical order, so it is easier for the reader to
understand the content and gather the information they need or
want.

Paragraph Development
· Unity
· Coherence
· Adequate Development
· Topic Sentences
A paragraph is a collection of sentences which all relate to one
main idea or topic. Effective paragraphs have four main
characteristics: a topic sentence, unity, coherence, and adequate
development. Each of these characteristics is discussed below.
· Unity
· Unity refers to the extent to which all of the ideas contained
within a given paragraph "hang together" in a way that is easy
for the reader to understand. When the writer changes to a new
idea -- one which is not consistent with the topic sentence of the
paragraph -- the writer should begin a new paragraph. Unity is
important because it aids the reader in following along with the
writer's ideas. The reader can expect that a given paragraph will
deal only with one main topic; when a new paragraph begins,
this signals that the writer is moving on to a new topic.
· Consider the following example. Note that there are two main
ideas presented in this paragraph. The topic sentence indicates
that the paragraph will deal with the subject of "employees'
attitudes," but the paragraph shifts unexpectedly to the topic of
"management's attitudes." To achieve unity in this paragraph,
the writer should begin a new paragraph when the switch is
made from employees to managers.
· Example
· "Employees' attitudes at Jonstone Electric Company should be
improved. The workers do not feel that they are a working team
instead of just individuals. If people felt they were a part of a
team, they would not misuse the tools, or deliberately
undermine the work of others. Management's attitude toward its
employees should also be improved. Managers at Jonstone
Electric act as though their employees are incapable of making
decisions or doing their own work. Managers treat workers like
objects, not human beings."
· Coherence
· Coherence refers to the extent to which the flow of ideas in a
paragraph is easily understood by the reader. For this reason,
coherence is closely related to unity. When a writer changes
main ideas or topics within a paragraph, confusion often results.
To achieve coherence, then, a writer should show how all of the
ideas contained in a paragraph are relevant to the main topic.
· Consider the example below. In this paragraph, the writer
begins with the topic of job-skills courses, but veers off onto the
topic of algebra and history before returning to the subject of
courses on employment. As a result, the paragraph is disjointed
and difficult to understand.
· · Example
· "Schools should offer courses to help students with the
problems of unemployment. Such a course might begin with a
discussion of where to find employment, then cover resume
writing and interviewing. Algebra and history don't help
students with real-world needs. They are required courses that
students aren't interested in, and this is frustrating for students
who would rather learn about other subjects. If schools offered
job-skills courses, students would be well prepared for the
difficult task of finding a job once they finish school."
· Adequate Development
· A paragraph is adequately developed when it describes,
explains and supports the topic sentence. If the "promise" of the
topic sentence is not fulfilled, or if the reader is left with
questions after reading the paragraph, the paragraph has not
been adequately developed. Generally speaking, a paragraph
which consists of only two or three sentences is
under-developed. A good rule of thumb to follow is to make
sure that a paragraph contains at least four sentences which
explain and elaborate on the topic sentence.
· Consider the paragraph below. The topic sentence promises to
discuss "several" points of comparison and contrast between
leadership and management, but the remainder of the paragraph
falls short of fulfilling this promise. Only one point of
comparison is raised, and this point is left unexplained. Several
questions remain unanswered. How are leaders different from
managers? In what specific ways are the two alike? Why must a
manager be a good leader to be effective? Why must good
leaders know how to manage people effectively? To achieve
adequate development in this paragraph, these questions should
be addressed.
· Example
· "The topics of leadership and management are both similar to
and different from one another in several important ways. To be
effective, a manager should be a good leader. And good leaders
know how to manage people effectively."
· Generally speaking, a paragraph should contain between three
and five sentences, all of which help clarify and support the
main idea of the paragraph. When a writer begins a new
paragraph, it signals to the reader that the writer is changing
thoughts or ideas, or is moving on to discuss a different aspect
of a main idea.
· Topic Sentences
· Beginning a paragraph with a topic sentence is one of the best
ways to achieve clarity and unity in one's writing. The function
of a topic sentence is to describe what the paragraph will be
about, such that the reader has clear expectations about what
will follow. An effective topic sentence typically contains only
one main idea. The remainder of the paragraph then develops
that idea more fully, offering supporting points and examples.
After reading a topic sentence, one should be able to anticipate
the type of information contained in the rest of the paragraph. If
the remainder of the paragraph does not fulfill the "promise" of
the topic sentence, the paragraph will lack unity, coherence and
adequate development.
· Examples
· "The cockroaches that inhabit many city apartments and
homes are parasites that are almost impossible to exterminate
completely."
· Notice that this sentence clearly identifies that the key topic of
the paragraph is cockroaches. It also indicates what the
remainder of the paragraph will discuss: the difficulty of
exterminating cockroaches. The reader can then expect the rest
of the paragraph to explain how and why cockroaches are
difficult to eliminate.
· "Many television cartoons contain an unhealthy amount of
violence."
· Notice that this sentence clearly identifies that the key topic of
the paragraph is violence in television cartoons. It also indicates
that the remainder of the paragraph will discuss how much
violence cartoons typically contain, and how/why this violence
is unhealthy for viewers.
· "An increasing number of people in America are enjoying the
benefits of organically grown fruits and vegetables."
· This topic sentence indicates that the remainder of the
paragraph will cover the trend in the United States toward eating
organic foods. The reader can also anticipate learning more in
this paragraph about the specific benefits of organic foods.
A good sentence expresses a complete thought, and can
clearly communicate an idea. However, there are a variety of
other components that contribute to good sentence construction:

●​ A good sentence is a complete sentence. A complete

sentence requires a subject and a verb and expresses a
complete thought—also known as an independent clause.
This element of sentence structure can stand on its own,
expressing an idea without the need for additional
information. For example: “Parents worry about their
children.” This sentence is complete, and conveys a clear
idea.
●​ A good sentence conjures a particular mood. Especially
when trying to appeal to your reader’s sensibilities, proper
use of emotion in your sentences can make all the
difference as to whether your audience feels what you
want them to or not. This is particularly useful in many
business writing fields like copywriting and marketing,
where establishing an emotional connection with the
reader can address their wishes—or fears—and compel
them to take action or buy into what you’re selling.
●​ A good sentence paints a picture. Using strong sensory
imagery will create a vivid image for your reader. It
doesn’t provide too much information that insults your
audience’s imagination, but it gives enough detail that is
necessary for the message you are trying to send. A single
sentence can become much more potent when there is a
powerful visual attached to it.
●​ A good sentence has flow. How you word sentences
dictates their pacing, and the cadence of a good sentence
 should be unmarred by poor punctuation or wordiness. A
reader should not have to go back and re-read a sentence to
understand the idea behind it, it should be conveyed
clearly and not convoluted by complex diction.
Tips for Writing Good Sentences
If you know how to write sentences, you’re on your way to
writing good sentences. There are many writing tips available
for those looking to craft better sentences:

1.​ 1. Keep it simple. Long sentences or overly complex

sentences don’t necessarily make sophisticated sentence
writing. Sometimes a simple sentence can pack a powerful
punch. Know how to eliminate fluff and adjust syntax to
fit your writing style and target audience. An easily
digestible message makes for better communication.
2.​ 2. Use concrete rhetoric. If you’re trying to inspire
movement or change, you don’t want to describe
something as “sort of” important, especially if you’re
trying to get people to donate to a cause, or protest an
event. Use direct language to deliver a strong image,
convey significance, and create an emotional
appeal—whatever your point is, it should be your
audience’s biggest priority right now.
3.​ 3. Employ parallelism. Sentences are easier and more
pleasant to read if there is an agreement in their
grammatical structure, particularly when it comes to
lists. This principle is known as parallelism, parallel
structure or parallel construction. Successful parallelism:
“The finale was illogical, rushed, and disappointing.”
(Three adjectives.)
4.​ 4. Mind your grammar. The best sentences don’t suffer
from things like passive voice, run-on sentences, or typos.
Sometimes you accidentally write an incomplete sentence,
or inadvertently form fragments while editing and
rewriting. Be sure to identify any incomplete sentences
that may be lurking throughout your writing. Proper
grammar helps give writing a more polished feel.
 5.​ 5. Properly punctuate. The right punctuation can make or
break the rhythm of a single sentence. Ensure your
periods, commas, hyphens, semi-colons, and any other
punctuative tools are implemented correctly. Even if
you’re just advice blogging for a small group of readers
online, you want your writing to appear sophisticated and
taken seriously, so pay attention to your punctuation.
6.​ 6. Practice writing. Improvement only happens with
practice. Perform writing exercises that focus on your
sentence structure and how you phrase your ideas. The
more you practice writing sentences, the better you’ll
become.
7.​
Paragraph: A paragraph can be defined as a distinct section of a
piece of writing. It consists of several related sentences and
deals with one controlling ideas. This controlling idea is called
the topic or the theme of the paragraph. The main function of a
paragraph is to develop support exemplify, or explain this
theme.
Essentials of Paragraph Writing:
a)​ Presentation of single idea.
b) A sequence of well connected sentences.
c) Thematic unit within the paragraph.
d) Conciseness and exactness.
In technical and professional writing, a paragraph may consist of
the following three kinds of sentences: a) Main sentences. b)
Major supportive sentences. c) Minor supportive sentences.
These sentences may be arranged logically by taking care of the
proper distribution of emphasis in a paragraph. Principles of
paragraph writing: It is essential to develop the ability to write
effective paragraphs. As the writing needs to be purposeful,
precise and reader oriented, it is important to compose
paragraphs that are clear, cohesive, concise and result oriented.
Paragraph writing is a significant production skill, integrating
both composing and organizing skills. In order to write an
effective paragraph, a careful writing plan should be adapted to
ensure proper length, unity, coherence, logical development and
organization of ideas. 1) The main sentences express the main
idea of the paragraph. 2) The major supportive sentences
expend, illustrate, explain, support or strength then the main
idea with secondary points and major supportive details, finally.
3)​ The minor supporting sentences exemplify and import the
main idea with minor points, minor supporting details.
Methods of Paragraph
Writing There are so many ways of developing a paragraph.
However, the basic patterns of logically organizing information
in a paragraph include:
1)​ Inductive order: In this logical organization, specific
details, examples and illustrations come first. They are
followed by general statements.
2)​ Deductive order: This logical pattern involves the process
of moving from a general statement premise, principle, or law
to specific details. 2 |
3)​ Special organization: special organization or order of
place involves the process of dividing a subject or topic based
on how they are arranged in space.
4)​ Interrupted method: Whenever the writer gives a break to
the line of thought and gives a turn to the idea to produce the
desired effect, he uses this method.
5)​ Linear: Linear logical order refers to a systematic order as
a line. One idea logically leads to another idea in a natural way.
6)​ Chronological organization: Chronological organization
refers to the narration of events in the order in which they occur
in time.

REQUISITES OF PARAGRAPH CONSTRUCTION: In general, the

purpose of a paragraph is to express one point, idea or opinion. For
example: Students require more recreational time in order to better focus
on lessons in class. This main idea is expressed through three sections of
a paragraph:
1.​ Beginning - Introduce your idea.
2.​ Middle - Explain your idea.
3.​ End - Make your point again, transition to next paragraph.

There are four sentence types used to construct a paragraph:

1.​ Topic sentence: One sentence which states your idea, point, or
opinion. This sentence should use a strong verb and make a bold
statement. For example: Students require more recreational time in order
to better focus on lessons in class. NOTE: Notice the strong verb 'require'
which is a call to action. A weaker form of this sentence might be: I think
students probably need more recreational time ... This weaker form is
inappropriate for a topic sentence.
2.​ Supporting sentences: Supporting sentences (notice the plural)
provide explanations and support for the topic sentence (main idea) of
your paragraph. For example: In fact, studies have shown that students
who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score better on
tests immediately following the recess period. Clinical analysis further
suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. NOTE: Supporting sentences provide the evidence
for your topic sentence. Supporting sentences that include facts, statistics
and logical reasoning are much more convincing that simple statements
of opinion.
3.​ Concluding sentence: The concluding sentence restates the main
idea (found in your topic sentence) and reinforces the point or opinion.
For example: Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow
students the best possible chances of success in their studies. 3 | P a g e ©
D r . S a v y a S a c h i NOTE: Concluding sentences repeat the main idea
of your paragraph in different words.
4. Transitional sentence: The transitional sentence prepares the reader for
the following paragraph. For example: Clearly, physical exercise is just
one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores on
standardized tests.