Y05W43VC Word Roots — -er / -or (one who)

The suffixes -er and -or come from Old English and Latin respectively and carry the core meaning of 'one who' or 'something that'. They attach to verb stems to form agent nouns — words that name a person or thing performing an action. Words ending in -er or -or are among the most common in everyday and academic English. This module explores six academic words and three further examples that share these suffixes.

Word Families

These three words all use -er / -or. As you read, notice how the meaning 'one who' helps explain each word.

teacher

/ˈtiːtʃə/

teach‑er

noun

A teacher is a person who instructs or helps others to learn.

Example: The narrator of the story was an experienced teacher who had spent thirty years in the same school.

Synonyms: instructor, educator, mentor

Collocations: a classroom teacher, an experienced teacher, the teacher's role

director

/dɪˈrɛktə/

di‑rec‑tor

noun

A director is a person who organises and guides a project, film, or organisation.

Example: The director of the documentary made careful choices about which stories to include.

Synonyms: leader, manager, organiser

Collocations: the film director, a creative director, the director of

narrator

/nəˈreɪtə/

nar‑ra‑tor

noun

A narrator is the person who tells or describes a story.

Example: The narrator in the novel was an elderly woman looking back on her childhood in rural Australia.

Synonyms: storyteller, voice, speaker

Collocations: the narrator of, a first-person narrator, the narrator's voice

Academic Vocab

summary

/ˈsʌməri/

sum‑ma‑ry

noun

A summary is a short account of the main points of something.

Word family: summarise (v.)

Example: She wrote a brief summary of each source before deciding which ones to include in her report.

Synonyms: overview, outline, recap

Collocations: write a summary, a brief summary, provide a summary

overview

/ˈəʊvəvjuː/

o‑ver‑view

noun

An overview is a general description or summary that covers the main points without going into detail.

Example: The introduction provided a clear overview of the three topics the report would examine.

Synonyms: summary, outline, introduction

Collocations: provide an overview, a general overview, a brief overview

key

/kiː/

key

adjective

Something that is key is the most important or central element of something.

Example: The key idea in her conclusion was that small changes in behaviour can have a significant collective impact.

Synonyms: main, essential, central

Collocations: a key idea, key points, key vocabulary

essential

/ɪˈsɛnʃəl/

es‑sen‑tial

adjective

Something that is essential is absolutely necessary.

Word family: essentially (adv.), essence (n.)

Example: A clear summary at the end of a report is essential for helping the reader remember the main points.

Synonyms: necessary, vital, fundamental

Collocations: absolutely essential, essential for, an essential skill

main

/meɪn/

main

adjective

Something that is main is the most important or largest of its kind.

Example: The main argument in her essay was clearly stated in the opening paragraph.

Synonyms: primary, chief, central

Collocations: the main idea, main argument, main character

to summarise

/tə ˈsʌməraɪz/

to sum‑ma‑rise

phrase

‘To summarise’ introduces a brief restatement of the main points.

Example: To summarise, the three most important findings were presented in order of significance.

Synonyms: in summary, in conclusion, to conclude

Collocations: to summarise, the key points; to summarise, this text

Confusing Words

choose vs chose

These two words look and sound similar but are different tenses of the same verb.

  • choose — Choose' is the present tense — it describes an action happening now or in general — for example, Authors choose their words carefully to create the effect they want.
  • chose — Chose' is the simple past tense — it describes an action that has already happened — for example, The director chose to narrate the documentary in a quiet, reflective tone.

Memory rule: A helpful trick: 'chose' rhymes with 'rose', which is something that already grew in the past. If the action happened in the past, use 'chose'. If it is happening now or generally, use 'choose'.