Prefixes: letters placed at the beginning of a

word that alter its meaning.

Examples: re dis ir

hyper pre inter un non

build Rebuild

do Redo

fill Refill

open Reopen

read Reread

tell Retell

visit Revisit

write Rewrite

The Prefix ‘re’ means again

Practice: He did the test again. He the test.

Example: He rebuilt the house means he built the house again

redid

redo rewrote re-read

My teacher asked me to………… the exercise. So

I …………the exercise and ………….. my assignment.

redo rewrote re-read

My teacher asked me to………… the exercise. So

I …………the exercise and ………….. my assignment.

redo

re-read re-wrote

The Prefix ‘dis’ means not

Obey

Infect

Arm

Continue

Disobey

Disinfect

Disarm

Discontinue

Appear

Approve

Connect

Allow

Disappear

Disapprove

Disconnect

Disallow

Example: He disobeyed his father means he did not obey his father

Practice: She did not like her behaviour. She her behaviour. disliked

I’m a police officer. Last week I had to ……….. a robber.

I said, ‘Put your hands up!’ But he …………… me.’ Then

he smashed me on the nose and when I woke up he had

………………….. My commanding-officer ……………

of my actions.

disapproved disobeyed disappeared disarm

I’m a police officer. Last week I had to ……….. a robber.

I said, ‘Put your hands up!’ But he …………… me.’ Then

he smashed me on the nose and when I woke up he had

………………….. My commanding-officer ……………

of my actions.

disapproved disobeyed disappeared disarm

disarm

disobeyed

disappeared disapproved

The Prefix ‘ir’ means not in adjectives

Regular

Relevant

Replaceable

Resistible

Irregular

Irrelevant

Irreplaceable

Irresistible

Responsible

Reversible

Rational

Reconcilable

Irresponsible

Irreversible

Irrational

Irreconcilable

Example : He is irresponsible means he is not responsible

Practice: That is not legal. That is .illegal

Yesterday was not a good day in my life. I broke my mother’s vase. She said it was ……………….and she said I was………………… My mother and I are now

………………….

irreconcilable irreplaceable irresponsible

Yesterday was not a good day in my life. I broke my mother’s vase. She said it was ……………….and she said I was………………… My mother and I are now

………………….

irreconcilable irreplaceable irresponsible

irreplaceableirresponsible

irreconcilable

The Prefix ‘hyper’ means very /big

Hyper-critical

Hypermarket

Hypersensitive

Critical

Market

Sensitive

Tension

Active

Inflation

Hypertension

Hyperactive

Hyperinflation

Example : He is hyperactive means he is very active

Practice: He is very sensitive. He is .hypersensitive

The Prefix ‘Pre’ means before

Example : The jeans are pre-shrunk means they were shrunk before

Judge

Face

Marital

View

Prejudge

Preface

Premarital

Preview

Conceive

Meditated

Position

Shrunk

Preconceive

Premeditated

Preposition

Pre-shrunk

Practice: She viewed it before. She it. previewed

The Prefix ‘inter’ means between

Continental

National

Act

City

Change

Mingle

Intercontinental

International

Interact

Intercity

Interchange

Intermingle

Example : This is an intercity train means it goes between cities nonstop.

Practice: There was action between the two. There was interaction.

The Prefix ‘non’ means not

Starter

Descript

Alignment

Aggression

Non-starter

Non-descript

Non-alignment

Non-aggression

Stop

Stick

Smoking

Sense

Non-stop

Non-stick

Non-smoking

Nonsense

Example : This is a non -stick pan means food will not stick to it.

Practice: This flight does not have a stopover. It is a flight.non-stop

The Prefix ‘un’ means without or not

Accompanied

Able

Affected

Announced

Unaccompanied

Unable

Unaffected

Unannounced

Certain

Beaten

Broken

Common

Uncertain

Unbeaten

Unbroken

Uncommon

Example : I am unable to do it means I can not do it.

Practice: I’m not prepared for this test. I’m .

unprepared

I booked a ……………….apartment on a …………..train to a ……………… town in middle America. I arrived ………………..and was …………………. in selling my ……………. saucepans

unannounced non-descript non-smoking unannounced non-stop non-stick

I booked a ……………….apartment on a …………..train to a ……………… town in middle America. I arrived ………………..and was …………………. in selling my ……………. saucepans

unannounced non-descript non-smoking unannounced non-stop non-stick

non-smoking non-stopnon-descript

unannounced unsuccessfulnon-stick

Practice:

1. The flight to England does not stop. It is …………..

2. The flight crosses between continents. It is…………

3. The information is not relevant. It is ……………….

4. The buses are not regular. They are ………………..

5. He does not respect her. He shows………………….

6. He is not able to solve it. He is …………..to solve it.

7. The shop has opened again. It has …………………..

8. The store is very big. It is a …………………………

Click for answers

Answers:

1. The flight to England does not stop. It is

2. The flight crosses between continents. It is

3. The information is not relevant. It is

4. The buses are not regular. They are

5. He does not respect her. He shows

6. He is not able to solve it. He is to solve it.

7. The shop has opened again. It has

8. The store is very big. It is a

irrelevant.

irregular.

disrepect.

unable

reopened

hyperstore.

non-stop.

intercontinental.