Prefixes and suffixes
DOWNLOAD THE NEW AND IMPROVED PREFIX AND SUFFIX LIST HERE
A key part of the Cambridge Exam English assessments is word formation. You need to take the root form of a word and adapt it so that it makes sense in a sentence. You need to focus on learning the high frequency root words and put them into context so that you can recognize how to fill in the gaps. Try these exercises to improve your understanding HERE.
Word formation is important as it allows language learners to increase their knowledge of word classes and helps them to increase their vocabulary base. For example, if you learn the word SPEND, you should learn all of the different forms of the word.
Verb = spend
Noun = expense(s)
Adjective = (in)expensive
Adverb = expensively
This way you will learn all of the words in the word family and not just one. Try our vocabulary game HERE to test your knowledge of word formation.
VOCABULARY TRICKS FOR THE WORD FORMATION: This post is going to point out some of the tricks that you can use to know what type of word, meaning which “word class”, you need to use to fill in the gaps in word formation exercises for the Use of English exercises of the Cambridge Exam English assessments.
WORD CLASSES:
- We already know that you can fill in the gaps using nouns, -age, -al, -ance, – ence, -cy,-dom, -hood, -iety, -ity, -ness. see the suffixes.
- Verb suffixes are usually ...ize, …en, …fy
- You can also use adjectives, see the suffixes …al, …able, …ful, …ic, …ive, …less, …ous, …y, click HERE.
- You can use adverbs, usually ending with the …ly, …ily or …ally suffix. See our post on adverbs here.
Another essential part of word formation is having an extensive knowledge of prefixes and suffixes. You need to know what the mean and how they fit into individual contexts. For instance, it is convenient to understand that Re = again and Anti = against. Be careful with negative prefixes as they can be confusing.
non-
not
nonsense
dis-*
not, opposite of
disable
in-, im-, il-, ir-*
not
injustice, impossible, illegal, irregular
un-*
not
unkind
DOWNLOAD THE NEW AND IMPROVED PREFIX AND SUFFIX LIST HERE
| PREFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| ANTI | AGAINST | ANTIHISTAMINE |
| BI | TWO | BICYCLE |
| DE | OPPOSITE | DETER |
| EN/EM | CAUSE | EMBARK |
| FORE | BEFORE | FORECAST |
| IN/IM | IN | INEPT |
| INTER | BETWEEN | INTERCHANGE |
| MID | MIDDLE | MIDDAY |
| MIS | WRONGLY | MISUSE |
| NON | NOT | NONSENSE |
| DIS | NOT/OPPOSITE | DISABILITY |
| IN/IM/IL/IR/UN | NOT | ILLEGITIMATE |
| OVER | MORE | OVERFISH |
| PRE | BEFORE | PREEMPT |
| RE | AGAIN | REDO |
| SEMI | HALF | SEMICIRCLE |
| SUB | UNDER | SUBNORMAL |
| SUPER | ABOVE | SUPERPOWER |
| TRANS | ACROSS | TRANSATLANTIC |
| UNDER | UNDER | UNDERVALUE |
| ABLE/IBLE | CAN DO | ACCEPTABLE |
| AL/IAL | HAVING | VOCATIONAL |
| ED | PAST (PARTICIPLE) | LISTENED |
| EN | MADE OF | WOODEN |
| ER | COMPARATIVE | SILLIER |
| ER | WHO WORKS AS | RESEARCHER |
| EST | SUPERLATIVE | FATTEST |
| FUL | FULL OF | SUCCESSFUL |
| IC | POSSESS | REALISTIC |
| ING | GERUND/PRESENT PARTICIPLE | LAUGHING |
| ION/TION | ACT | COLLABORATION |
| ATION/ITION/ITY/TY | STATE OF | ATTRITION |
| IVE/ATIVE/ITIVE | ADJECTIVE | COLLABORATIVE |
| LESS | WITHOUT | CARELESS |
| LY/ILY | CHARACTERISTIC OF | HAPPILY |
| MENT | ACTION | ENJOYMENT |
| NESS | STATE OF | HAPPINESS |
| OUS/EOUS/IOUS | POSSESSING | ADVENTUROUS |
| S/ES | PLURAL | CLASSES |
| Y | CHARACTERISED BY | FUNNY |
For a full PREFIX AND SUFFIX LIST, click HERE with explanations
It is recommendable to learn words in context and through examples, not just memorize individual prefixes and suffixes.
