Root words and Base words• Root Words and Base Words are the

same.• Root words and base words are the

most basic part of a word.• If you add an affix to a root or base word

you change the meaning of the word.

Base /Root

Affixes• Affixes are word parts that change the

meaning of a root or base word.

un+cook+ed=uncookedAffix

Affix

Prefixes

• Prefixes are word parts (affixes) that comes at the beginning of the root word or base word.

un+cook+ed=uncookedPrefix

AffixBase/Root

Suffix

• Suffixes are word parts (affixes) that come at the end of the root word or base word.

un+cook+ed=uncookedPrefix

SuffixBase/Root

More aboutPrefixes

We use prefixes to change meaning. They never change the part of speech. (Most suffixes change the part of speech.) Many prefixes give a word a meaning which is the opposite or negative of the original. For example, we can use the prefixes dis or un: dis + appear – disappear / un + tie - untie

prefix meaning / use exampleanti + adjective/noun opposite anti- clockwise/ anti-climaxanti + noun / adjective against anti-theft device /anti-Europeanco + noun / verb together cohabitdis + verb negative/opposite dislike /disembarkil + adjective opposite illegalim + adjective  opposite impossiblein+adjective opposite indirectinter + adjective between intercontinentalir + adjective opposite irregularmis + verb wrongly/ badly mistook / mishandleover + verb too much overworkout + verb more outnumberpost + noun / verb after postgraduatepre + noun / verb before pre- arrangementpro + noun / adjective in favor of pro-Unions / pro-Europeansub + adjective below substandardsuper + noun/ adjective greater than superhumantrans + noun / verb / across transplant / transcontinentalun + verb / adjective negative / opposite unlock / unhappyunder + verb not enough / too little undercook /  undercharge

 There are a few rules:

We use il instead of in with words that begin with l:il + legal = illegal

We use im instead of in with words that begin with m or p: im + polite – impolite

We often use ir instead of in with words that begin with r: ir + responsible = irresponsible.

Examples:

Not mobile Immobile Not responsible Irresponsible

Not literate Illiterate Not rational Irrational

Not possible Impossible Not proper Improper

Not legitimate Illegitimate Not irregular Irregular

Not modest Immodest Not personal Impersonal

Not mortal Immortal Not logical Illogical

Use in- before any other letter.   

not adequate = inadequate           not capable   = incapable  not decent    = indecent              not offensive = inoffensive  

NEGATIVE PREFIXES

Disorganized applies to the sort of person who stuffs receipts into the sock drawer and can never find the car keys.  Her purse is disorganized. It is crammed with receipts, credit cards, snacks, jewelry, paint chips, train schedules, cosmetics, lottery tickets, and the morning paper.

Unorganized applies to things which have not yet been arranged in an organized manner. By this reasoning, a person would be disorganized, but an office would be unorganized.My desk may appear unorganized, but I can find anything I want. (My desk does not seem orderly.)

Disinterested traditionally means having no stake in the matter, means impartial, having no bias or profit from something: We are struggling to identify twelve disinterested people for the jury. 

Uninterested traditionally means not engaged, bored, or unconcerned.I used to collect stamps, but I am uninterested these days.

Un and Dis are also used for the opposite meanings but with difference in meaning

Re -  means again (redo = do again) or back (as in repay)Examples: react, reappear, reform, report, rerun, retrieve, revert, revise

Note: Use the hyphen with the prefix re only when re means again AND omitting the hyphen would cause confusion with another word.

Example: Will she recover from her illness?Re does not mean again so no hyphen.

Example: I have re-covered the sofa twice. Re does mean again AND omitting the hyphen would have caused confusion with another word so hyphenate.

Example: The stamps have been reissued. Re means again but would not cause confusion with another word so no hyphen.

Example: I must re-press the shirt. Re means again AND omitting the hyphen would cause confusion with another word so hyphenate.

Co – 1.together; joint or jointly; mutual or mutually: coproduction2.indicating partnership or equality: cofounder, copilot3.to the same or a similar degree: coextend

Examples: coordinate, cooperate, co-worker

Note: co- Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status: co-author, co-chairman, co-defendant, co-host, co-owner, co-partner, co-pilot, co-respondent (in a divorce suit), co-signer, co-sponsor, co-star, co-worker.

Use no hyphen in other combinations: coed, coeducation, coequal, coexist, coexistence, cooperate, cooperative, coordinate, coordination.

Prefix un- There are two kinds of the prefix un- in English.

•The first is attached to adjectives to form new adjectives. un + adj = adj (not) ex: unable (un + able), unafraid (un + afraid), and unimportant (un + important) unacceptable (un + acceptable) unavoidable (un + avoidable), unbelievable (un + believable) unpredictable (un + predictable) and unreachable (un + readable).  (un-) + ADJECTIVE = new ADJECTIVE

• The second is attached to verbs to form new verbs. un + verb = verb (to do the opposite of )ex: unbind (un + bind), uncover (un + cover) undo (un + do) undress (un + dress) unload (un + load), unlock (un + lock) , untie (un +tie)  (un-) + VERB = new VERB

NOTE : The two kinds of the prefix un- do not change the part of speech.

Prefix in- 

•The prefix in- is mostly attached to adjectives. (in-) + ADJ = new ADJ•This prefix does not change the part of speech either. •The meaning of this prefix is ‘not’. ex: inaccurate (in + accurate), intolerant (in + tolerant), inefficient (in + efficient), inexpensive (in + expensive) , infertile (in + fertile), and illegal (in + legal).

From the examples above, the rule of prefix in- attached to adjectives can be stated as: (in-) + ADJECTIVE = new ADJECTIVE.

Prefix re-

•The prefix re- is attached to verbs to form new verbs. (re-) + VERB = new VERB

•The meaning of the prefix re- is ‘again’. ex: rearrange, (re + arrange), reconsider (re + consider), reconstruct (re + construct), replay (re + play), reprint ( re +print) and rewrite (re + write) 

From the examples above, the rule of prefix in- attached to adjectives can be stated as: (re-) + VERB = new VERB

Prefix dis-

•The prefix dis- is attached to verbs to form new verbs. (dis-)+ VERB = new VERB• This prefix has several meanings but its basic meaning is ‘not’. ex: disagree (dis + agree), disappear ( dis + appear), and dislike (dis + like).

Based on the examples above, the rule of the prefix dis- attached to verbs can be stated as: (dis-) + VERB = new VERB.

Note: The new verb is indicated by the change of meaning. In this case, the prefix dis- brings the basic meaning ‘not’ to the verb

•The prefix dis- can be attached to nouns to form new nouns. (dis-)+ NOUN = new NOUN

ex: disadvantage (disi + advantage), discomfort (dis + comfort), and disharmony (dis + harmony) Examples above are stated as: (dis-)+ NOUN = new NOUN

•The prefix dis- can also be attached to adjectives to form new adjectives.(dis-)+ ADJECTIVE = new ADJECTIVE ex: disable(dis = able), dishonest (dis + honest), and dissimilar (dis + similar). (dis-)+ ADJECTIVE = new ADJECTIVE. The new adjective is indicated by the change of meaning. In this case, the prefix dis- brings the basic meaning ‘not’ to the adjectives.

More aboutSuffixes

A suffix is a group of letters placed at the end of a word to make a  new word.

A suffix can make a new word in one of two ways:

Inflectional (grammatical): for example, changing singular to plural (dog → dogs), or changing present tense to past tense (walk → walked). In this case, the basic meaning of the word does not change.

Derivational (the new word has a new meaning, "derived" from the original word): for example, teach → teacher or care → careful

Suffixes

Inflectional Suffixes (grammatical):

Inflectional suffixes do not change the meaning of the original word.

Every day I walk to school.Yesterday I walked to school.

The words walk and walked have the same basic meaning.

I have one car.I have two cars.

The basic meaning of the words car and cars is exactly the same. In these cases, the suffix is added simply for grammatical "correctness".

    example

suffixgrammatical

change original word suffixed word-s plural dog dogs

-en plural (irregular) ox oxen

-s 3rd person singular present

like he likes

-ed past tensepast participle

work he workedhe has worked

-en past participle (irregular)

eat he has eaten

-ing continuous/progressive

sleep he is sleeping

-er comparative big bigger

-est superlative big the biggest

1. Inflectional Suffixes

Derivational suffixes(the new word has a new meaning, "derived" from the original word)

With derivational suffixes, the new word has a new meaning, and is usually a different part of speech.

But the new meaning is related to the old meaning - it is "derived" from the old meaning.

We can add more than one suffix, as in this example:

derive (verb) + ation → derivation (noun) + al → derivational (adjective)

2. Derivational Suffixes

suffix makingexample

original wordexample

suffixed word

-ation nouns explorehesitate

explorationhesitation

-sion persuadedivide

persuasiondivision

-er teach teacher

-cian music musician

-ess god goddess

-ness sad sadness

-al arrive arrival

-ary diction dictionary

-ment treat treatment

-y jealousvictor

jealousyvictory

-al adjectives accident accidental

-ary imagine imaginary

-able tax taxable

-ly brother brotherly

-y ease easy

-ful sorrowforget

sorrowfulforgetful

-ly adverbs helpful helpfully

-ize verbs terrorprivate

terrorizeprivatize

-ate hyphen hyphenate

suffix makingexample

original word

examplesuffixed

word

Note that the suffix -er can convert almost any verb into the person or thing performing the action of the verb. For example: a teacher is a person who teaches, a lover loves, a killer kills, an observerobserves, a walker walks, a runner runs; a sprinkler is a thing that sprinkles, a copier copies, a shredder shreds.