Unit 1. Working with prefixes

Word-building: prefixes

Prefixes and opposite meanings

1-The prefixes un-,in-,im-,ir-,il-, and dis- can be added to the beginning of some words to give them a negative meaning. Add the appropriate prefix to these words to give a negative meaning.

example: trained- untrained

 Here you will find some practice, don't forget to leave your comment at the end!

literate - mature- efficiency-approve-legally- dress-responsible- agree- relevant-practical-experienced
2-Think of definition for five of the negative words and test your partner.
 Example:  someone who can't read is.....
3-Complete the rules of use for these three prefixes:

a     il- is used before words which begin with the letter______b     ir- is used before words which begins with the letter______c     im- is generally  used before words which begin with the letter_____

4- Fill in the gaps in these sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets. You will need to add a prefix.

• Caroline's such a ...................................person. She's always so unpleasant. (agree)
• The decision was totally .......................We were really surprised by it. (expect)
• She was .........................dressed for the cold weather and had to borrow a sweater (appropriate)
• The boy's mother reported his ...................to the police . (appear)
• The ...............of the winning the lottery does not stop people buying a ticket (probable)
• He writes so .....................that even he can't read what he's written. (legible)

5- Prefixes and other meanings
Match the prefixes from 1 to 7 to the meaning from a to g 
1   over                                            a   many
2   anti                                              b   of, or by oneself
3   multi                                            c   again or back
4   auto                                            d   against
5   re                                                e   not enough
6   mis                                              f    too much
7   under                                          g   badly or wrongly

• I left the veggies cooking for an hour. So I'm afraid they were overcooked.
• If you want your car to start in the winter you need to use antifreeze.
• America is a multiracial society. There are people there from all over the worlds
• His autobiography , which took him three years to write, will be published soon
• I'll rewind the tape so that you can listen another time.
• I thought the meeting was tomorrow, not today. I obviously misunderstood.
• The strikers demanded more money, saying that they were grossly underpaid.

6- Fill in the gaps in these sentences with one of the prefixed in 1 and answer the questions:

1. They're going to build another .....................storey car park in the city centre.                               Why are most city car parks like this?
2. The captain took his hands off the controls and put the plane on .........pilot.                                     At what point in the flight would -wouldn't the pilot do this?
3. The new ...........................malaria drug is 99 per cent effective against the disease?                             What general name is given to drugs like penicillin which are used to fight particular diseases?
4. I have frequently had to pay too much in shops but I have never been................charged.                      What do you do if you are asked to pay too much or too little in a shop?
5. The flight was ..........booked and we had to wait for the next one.                                                        In what other situation can this happen ? and why?
6. The secretary spilt coffee on the letters and had to ..................type them.                                            What other reasons might there be for doing this?
7. I haven't lost my glasses.-I've just .......placed them.                                                                            How could you describe people who do this regularly?