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IDIOMA I (INGLS)

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES.


PREFIXES
Prefixes are particles that can be added, in initial position, to full words.
Nevertheless, they are not words with an independent existence.
Most prefixes in English are of foreign origin. All prefixes have some stress,
with the exception of the a- prefix, which is Latin (amoral).
Prefixes can be of various kinds depending on the meaning they convey.
Below, we will examine a selection of these prefixes.

THE OPPOSITE, NEGATION OF SOMETHING

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

a-

amoral

im-

impossible, impolite

anti-

anti-semite, anti-

in-

inaccurate, indirect,

government

invisible, injustice

counter-

counter-reformation

ir-(+r)

irrelevant, irregular

de-

deactivate

mis-

mishear, miscalculate

dislike, dishonest,
dis-

disagree, disadvantage,

non-violence, nonnon-

alcoholic, non-stop

disappear
uncommon, unclear,
il- (+l)

illegal, illiberal

un-

unusual, uncomfortable,
unpack, unfortunately

BAD, WRONG
PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

mal-

maladjusted

mis-

misunderstand

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

QUANTITY
PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

bi-, tri-, etc

binary

micro-

microwave

dec-(a)

decametre

mono-

monotheism

di-

ditransitive

multi-

multimedia

centi-

centimetre

poly-

polytheism

kilo-

kilometre

semi-

semicircle

macro-

macrocosm

A LOT, TOO MUCH


PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

hyper-

hyperactive

over-

overload

multi-

multicoloured,

super-

supermarket, superstore

ultra-

ultramodern

multimillionaire
out-

outcome

LITTLE, TOO LITTLE


PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE
underestimate,

mini-

minicomputer, minibar

under-

underweight, underpaid,
underground

sub-

subtenancy

TEMPORAL
PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

ex-

ex-wife

post- (=after)

postdated,
postgraduate

neo-

neoclassical

fore-

foretell

pre- (=before)

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

pre-school, prehistoric

TO MAKE OR TO CAUSE TO BE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

EXAMPLE

a-

asleep

em-

embody

be-

bewitch

en-

enable

RELATIONS
PREFIX
co-

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

co-ordinate

semi(=half)

inter-

interactive, international

intra-

intravenous

mid-

midway

transvice-

EXAMPLE
semiprecious,

semi-

skilled, semicircle
transaction
vice-chairman

OTHER IMPORTANT PREFIXES


PREFIX
auto-

EXAMPLE

PREFIX

autodidact

re-

EXAMPLE
re-examine, reread

(=again)
pro-

pro-divorce

self-

self-employed

SUFFIXES
While prefixes generally modify the base, SUFFIXES have by contrast a small
semantic role, their primarily purpose being to change the grammatical function of
the base. Below, we will examine a selection of suffixes according to the word class
that results when they are added to a base.
NOUNS
SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

-ability

capability

-ful

mouthful

-age

shortage

-hood

boyhood, likelihood

-ian/-an*

electrician, republican

-ics

economics

-ance/-

performance,

-ion/tion/sion

discussion, production,

ence

importance, distance,

permission

preference, difference,

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

convenience
-ant/-ent*

assistant, inhabitant,

-ing

student

understanding,
building, liking,
meaning

-ary

library, documentary

-ism

christianism

-ate

electorate

-ist*

socialist, tourist

-ite

ibsenite

explanation,
identification,
information,
-ation/-

invitation,

ition/-tion

communication,
opposition,
construction,
collection,
transformation
introduction

electricity,
-cracy

democracy

-ity, -ty

security,
certainty, popularity,
similarity
measurement,
(dis)agreement,

-cy

efficiency

-ment

development,
settlement,
requirement,
employment

-dom

freedom

-ness

readiness, illness,
willingness

-ee*

employee

-ology, -logy

sociology

-er/-ar/-

teacher, operator,

-ship

championship

or*

driver, editor

-ery

slavery

-ster

youngster

-ese

japanese

-ure

failure, pressure

*These suffixes are used to form nouns of people. We also use -er for things,
especially machines, for example: a hair-dryer, a food mixer, a CD player.

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

ADJECTIVES
SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

-able

comparable

-ish

british

-(ic)al

logical, professional,

-ist

communist

coastal, natural, central,


grammatical
-an

republican

-ite

thatcherite

-ant/-ent

important

-ive

sensitive, informative,
exclusive

-able/-ible

acceptable,

-less

comprehensible,

useless, hopeless,
powerless

valuable, comfortable
-ary/-ory

contemporary

-ly

daily, friendly, lively

-ate

passionate

-ous

famous, dangerous,
luxurious, religious,
marvellous

-en

golden

-some

awesome

-er

warmer

-th

nineteenth

-ese

portuguese

-ward(s)

backward

-est

richest

-wide

worldwide

-ful

useful, successful,

-y

rocky, salty

SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

hopeful, wonderful
-ic

historic, scientific

ADVERBS
SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

sharply, recently,
-er

faster

-ly

nervously, originally,
successfully, rarely,
heavily, correctly

-est

closest

-ward(s)

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

forward

VERBS
SUFFIX

EXAMPLE

-ate

formulate

-en

widen

SUFFIX
-ify
-ize/-ise

EXAMPLE
simplify
institutionalise

COMPOUNDS
A compound is a lexical unit consisting of more than one base and functioning as a
single word. In English, compounds usually comprise two bases only, and most
common compounds result in new nouns and, to a lesser extent, adjectives and
verbs. Compounds may be written in three different ways:
As one word: railway, keyboard
With a hyphen: washing-machine, drinking water
As two or more words: address bus, ferrite ring
NOUN COMPOUNDS
COMBINATION

EXAMPLE

COMBINATION

EXAMPLE

noun+noun

bookshelf

verb+adverb/preposition

breakdown

-ing+noun

dining-room

verb+noun

breakfast

noun+preposition

looker-on

preposition+noun

onrush

adjective+noun

darkroom

adverb/preposition+verb

off-spring

pronoun+noun

he-man

whole phrase

son-in-law

ADJECTIVE COMPOUNDS

COMBINATION

EXAMPLE

COMBINATION

EXAMPLE

noun+adjective

part-time

adverb+past

so-called

participle
adjective+adjective

dark-blue

noun+-ing

labour saving

adj./adv.+noun+-

two-faced

adjective+-ing

long-standing

noun+past particip.

tongue-tied

adverb+-ing

hard-working

adj.+past particip.

ready-made

ed

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

VERB COMPOUNDS
COMBINATION

EXAMPLE

COMBINATION

EXAMPLE

noun+verb

mass-produce

adjective+verb

short-change

CONVERSION
We can define CONVERSION as the process by which we assign the word to a
different word-class without changing its form.
CONVERSION

Verb noun

Adjective noun

Noun verb

EXAMPLE

walk, love, doubt

daily, comic

to water, to skin

EXERCISES

1. Read this text and the words in capital letters below. Change the form of
each word so that it fits the numbered space. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
CAMERON PARK
At first light, there is nothing (0) UNUSUAL about the town of Cameron Park in
California but, as the day begins and the town comes to (1) ___________, you
cant help (2) ___________ that, among the cars, there are light aeroplanes
moving along the roads towards the airport.
When the town was (3) ___________ built, a small airport was included for the
(4) ___________ of people flying in to look at the properties which were for
(5) ___________, but it soon became clear to the developers that this was an
attraction in itself. The streets were (6) ___________ so that planes could use
them, the mailboxes near the road were made (7) ___________ to avoid passing
wings, and all the electricity cables were buried (8) ___________.
Now, there is every (9) ___________ that the residents will have a private plane in
their garage and use it with the same (10) ___________ other people enjoy with
their cars.
0. USUAL

6. WIDE

1. LIVE

7. SHORT

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

2. NOTICE

8. GROUND

3. ORIGIN

9. LIKELY

4. CONVENIENT

10. FREE

5. SELL
2. Read this text and the words in capital letters below. Change the form of
each word so that it fits the numbered space. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
AN IMPORTANT ENGLISH TOWN
The side of the town of Winchester was a (0) NATURAL place for a (1) ___________,
at the point where a river cut through the chalk of the (2) ___________ hillsides. A
simple camp at St Catherines Hill was the (3) ___________known use of the site.
This was followed by an Iron Age hill-fort, but this was left (4) ___________ by 100
BC. It was the Romans who finally established the town and (5) ___________ it with
a defensive wall for the protection of their people and trade.
With the (6) ___________ of its first cathedral in the seventh century, the town
became an important (7) ___________ centre. Later, King Alfred, who had
(8) ___________ pushed back the invading Danes, moved his palace to Winchester.
The town then experienced rapid (9) ___________, and its (10) ___________ role in
English history was underlines in 1066 when the conquering Normans, like Alfred,
made Winchester their capital.
0. NATURE

6. BUILD

1. SETTLE

7. RELIGION

2. SOUTH

8. SUCCESS

3. EARLY

9. DEVELOP

4. INHABIT

10. CENTRE

5. ROUND
3. Read this text and the words in capital letters below. Change the form of
each word so that it fits the numbered space. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
THE FUTURE OF TALL BUILDINGS
Architects responsible for the (0) CONSTRUCTION of many skyscrapers believe that
a tall building must always have a certain minimum (1) ___________ but that there is

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

no limit to its absolute (2) ___________. This means that the skyscrapers of the
future are likely to be even taller.
Engineers agree with this, but there is (3) ___________ over the best shape for very
tall, slim buildings. The effects of wind (4) ___________ mean that cylindrical designs
have enjoyed some (5) ___________ in recent years, and there are quite pleasing to
the eye. (6) ___________, however, the ideal shape is an ugly square with heavily
rounded corners.
Would these tall buildings of the future offer more than a (7) ___________ view?
Some believe tall towers could contain all the (8) ___________ for modern living. The
(9) ___________ of these vertical villages would travel up and down between their
home and work zones and would (10) ___________ need to journey to ground level.
0. CONSTRUCT

6. FORTUNATE

1. WIDE

7. WONDER

2. HIGH

8. REQUIRE

3. AGREE

9. INHABIT

4. PRESS

10. RARE

5. POPULAR
4. Read this text and the words in capital letters below. Change the form of
each word so that it fits the numbered space. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
THE ABC OF COOKING

Its a (0) MARVELLOUS idea for children to do some cooking at an early age.
Generally (1) ___________, most children cant wait to help in the kitchen and love
getting

involved

in

the

(2)

___________

of

their

meals.

They

should

be

(3) ___________ to do so, and care should be taken to (4) ___________ they enjoy
the experience. It is important to show them how to do things (5) ___________ but
they shouldnt be criticized too much. Although the finished result may not be quite to
your

(6)

___________,

the

young

cook

will

undoubtedly

find

it

quite

the

(7) ___________ food he or she has ever eaten.


Kitchens

can,

of

course,

be

(8)

___________

places

and

so

the

absolute

(9) ___________ of keeping an eye on children at all times cannot be emphasized too
(10) ___________. Sharp knives, for example, should be avoided until children are
old enough to handle them safely.

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

0. MARVEL

6. LIKE

1. SPEAK

7. TASTY

2. PREPARE

8. DANGER

3. COURAGE

9. IMPORTANT

4. SURE

10. HEAVY

5. CORRECT

UNIT 19. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES. THEORY AND EXERCISES

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