Prefixes and Suffixes

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Answers page 13

1 C (Biweekly can also mean 'every two weeks')

2 A

3 B

4 A

5 A

6 A (Replenish here means 'get better again')

7 B (Depletion here means 'uitputting')

8 C

Answers page 15

1 D

2 C

3 A

4 B

5 D

6 C

Answers page 16

7 B

8 D

9 C

Prefixes and Suffixes

- sets of letters

- add to the beginning of a word (prefix)

or

- add at the end of a word (suffix).

- They change the meaning of a word.

Take a look at these examples

legal                    illegal

wanted              unwanted

regular               irregular

polite                  impolite

What's the difference between the words?

Prefixes

non-/un-/im-/il-/in-/ir- 

non-profit/illegal/impossible

Re-

return / revisit/ replay

Mis-

miscommunication  

Dis-

disappear

Give an opposite meaning to a word.

Again

Negative meaning

Opposite or negative meaning

Are there any rules?

Not really.

Study the words.

You already know a lot of them.

Sometimes you have to look them up in a dictionary.

Are there any rules?

There are minor rules for spelling though.

ir- is always followed by an r

im- is always followed by an m or p

a- is always followed by a consonant (medeklinker)

This does not work the other way around.

Also remember

Not every word with a prefix is negative:

alike (the same)

discuss

universe

illuminate

important

involve

Which is the correct opposite of honest?

1. unhonest
2. ilhonest
3. dishonest
4. mishonest

Which is the correct opposite of reliable?

1. irreliable
2. unreliable
3. disreliable
4. inreliable

Which is the correct opposite of agree?

1. misagree
2. unagree
3. iragree
4. disagree

Common suffixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example
-er	Changes root into the person performing the action	Drive - driv er
-ing	Changes the root into a different noun	The paint - The paint ing
-ment	Changes a verb into a noun	Pay - pay ment
-ness	Changes adjective/adverb into a noun	Kind - kind ness

Suffixes

-er

slower, faster, easier 

-ness

kindness, happiness

-ing

painting

-ment

payment

Comparison / a person or thing that does a certain action.

To turn an adverb/adjective into a noun.

To turn a product, material or a verb into a noun.

To change a verb into a noun.

For now

Do text 3 + 4

If you want to see more examples of negative words with prefixes:

https://www.lawlessenglish.com/learn-english/grammar/negative-prefixes/