1a. He's so moody - I don't know why she puts up with him.

1b. He's so moody - I don't know why she tolerates him.

2a. It's high time we all stood up for our rights around here.

2b. It's high time we all defended our rights around here.
3a. They had been selling stolen cars for years before the police caught up with them.
3b. They had been selling stolen cars for years before the police found out and
punished them.
4a. I wonder what those two got up to yesterday.
4b. I wonder what those two did yesterday.
Now, I think they are different from other verbal constructions, such as: keep up (with)
= STAY LEVEL OR EQUAL, since, in this case, we can do without the preposition
"with", as this sentence shows:

5a. He started to walk faster and the children had to run to keep up.
Here, an example with the same phrasal, but including the preposition and, of course,
we can't omit it in this case:
6a. Wages are failing to keep up with inflation.(All examples taken from

The Cambridge Dictionary).

Now, if we were to replace this phrasal by another word or expression,

the preposition would still be needed.
E.g.,

5b. He started to walk faster and the children had to run to stay level
with him.
6b. Wages are failing to stay level with / stay equal to inflation.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)
With the following phrasal verbs, you will find three parts:
"My brother dropped out of school before he could graduate."
I was talking to Mom on the phone when the operator broke in on our call.
After our month-long trip, it was time to catch up with the neighbors and the news around town.
I was talking to Mom on the phone when the operator broke in on our call.
The boys promised to check up on the conditions of the summer house from time to time.
After years of giving nothing, the old parishioner was able to come up with a thousand-dollar
donation.
We tried to cut down on the money we were spending on entertainment.
I hope none of my students drop out of school this semester.
I found it very hard to get along with my brother when we were young.
Janik cheated on the exam and then tried to get away with it.
The citizens tried to get rid of their corrupt mayor in the recent election.
When will you ever get through with that program?
It's hard to keep up with the Joneses when you lose your job!
I always look forward to the beginning of a new semester.
It's typical of a jingoistic country that the citizens look down on their geographical neighbors.
We were going to look in on my brother-in-low, but he wasn't home.
Good instructors will look out for early signs of failure in their students.
First-graders really look up to their teachers.
Make sure of the student's identity before you let him into the classroom.
The teacher had to put up with a great deal of nonsense from new students.
The runners ran out of energy before the end of the race.
My oldest sister took care of us younger children after Mom died.
The star player talked back to the coach and was thrown off the team.
I often think back on my childhood with great pleasure.
Her husband walked out on her and their three children.
break in on: interrupt (a conversation)
catch up with: keep abreast
come up with: to contribute (suggestion, money)
cut down on: curtail (expenses) - make a reduction in
drop out of:
Leave of school or some other program prematurely tail
(expenses) - make a reduction in

get along with: have a good relationship with - Have smooth

relations
get away with:
escape blame - Escape potentially unpleasant consequences;
get away with a forbidden action

get rid of: eliminate - Dispose of

get through with: finish - Finish a task completely
keep up with: maintain pace with

look forward to: anticipate with pleasure - Expect or hope for

look down on: despite

look in on: visit (somebody)
look out for: be careful, anticipate
look up to: respect, admire - Feel admiration for
make sure of: verify - Confirm the truth of

put up with: tolerate - Put up with something or somebody

unpleasant
run out of: exhaust supply - Exhaust the supply of
take care of: be responsible for - Take charge of
talk back to: answer impolitely
think back on: recall - Recapture the past; indulge in
memories
walk out on: abandon - Leave someone who needs or counts
on you; leave in the lurch
catch up with :reach the same position or level
drop by, drop in on : visit informally

drop out of : stop going to something

get out of : avoid an unpleasant situation, (2) leave something that is

enclosed

keep up with : try to follow the same speed someone else is using, or the
same position or level they have

kick out of : force (someone) to leave

put up with : tolérate

run out of : have no more

Three word verbs

'Come in for' means to receive. This is usually used with words such as 'criticism'
'abuse' 'blame'.
• He came in for a lot of criticism for his actions.
• She came in for a lot of abuse when she tried to argue with them
'Go in for' can be used with words such as 'competition' to mean 'enter'.
• I went in for a Scrabble tournament at my club and I won.
• She was a good athlete when she was younger and went in for the trials
for the Olympic team
'Sit in on' can be used with words such as 'conference' or 'meeting' to indicate that you
attend as an observer and not as a regular participant.
• I've asked John to sit in on this meeting as he knows more about these
people than we do.
• I'd like you to sit in on the negotiations with the unions as part of your
training
'Stand in for' is used to mean 'substitute for'.
• Harry is ill so I'm going to stand in for him and make the presentation.
• Wendy is on vacation and I'm standing in for her
If you 'go along with' existing plans, opinions or decisions you accept them and don't try
to change them.
• I go along with your ideas about increasing our marketing in China.
• You agreed to go along with our decision
If you 'listen out for' something, you keep alert and make an effort to hear it.
 • I'm expecting him to call so listen out for the phone ringing.
• Listen out for their car. They should be here soon
If you 'cash in on' a situation, you take advantage of it, often unfairly.
• He cashed in on my absence with flu to contact my customers directly.
• We need to cash in on the emerging markets in Asia
If you 'drop in on' somebody, you make an informal, unarranged visit to see them.
• I dropped in on Martin when I was visiting Sidcup.
• Drop in on me any time you are in town.
To Be
One way to say you are leaving is to say you are 'off'.
• I'm off now. See you tomorrow.
• It's time I was off or I'll be late for the meeting.
If you have no more supply/stock of something you are 'out of' the item.
• We're out of ink for the photocopier. Can you go out and get some?
• I'm afraid you are out of luck. I sold the last one an hour ago.
If you are depressed and miserable, you are 'down'.
• He's been very down since he lost his job.
• Why are you so down today?
When you have to submit something by a certain date, it has to be 'in' by then.
• The application has to be in before Friday.
• The report was supposed to be in last week but I'm still working on it.
If something is 'on', it is happening at the moment.
• There's a good play on at the theatre. (or should that be theater?)
• I'm going to London because the sales are on.
If somebody is not present, they are 'away'.
• I'm afraid he's away on holiday.
• I'm going to be away for a few days.
If food is no longer fresh, it is 'off'.
• I think this milk is off. Smell it.
• That melon is off. Don't eat it.
If you know some inside information, often a secret, you are 'in on' the information.
• Is Sarah in on our plans? Has anybody told her yet?
• He won't let me in on the secret.
If someone is 'up to' something, they are doing something secretive that you are not
supposed to know about.
• I don't know exactly what is happening but Tom is up to something.
• Why all the whispering? What are you up to?
If someone is 'on' something, they are taking something as a form of drug.
• He's on 50 cigarettes a day at the moment.
 • She's on her third cup of coffee and it's only 9 o'clock.
Emotions Phrasal Verbs
If something 'gets you down', it makes you feel unhappy.
• This uncertainty is beginning to get me down.
• The way everybody keeps complaining really gets me down
If somebody or something makes you feel upset or unhappy, they 'get to' you. This is an
informal expression.
• The way he whistles all the time when we are working really gets to me.
• The heat is really getting to me. We need air conditioning.
If something makes you very unhappy, it 'tears you apart'.
• It tears me apart to know that I lost that job because of my own stupidity.
• It would tear me apart if something I said made you leave.
If you are 'put out', you are annoyed.
• I was really put out when he turned down the job.
• He seemed a bit put out that we hadn't invited him to speak.
If you 'cheer up', you start to feel happier.
• Cheer up. Things are not so bad.
• I bought a new Ipod to cheer myself up.
If you 'perk up', you suddenly become happier, cheerful or more energetic. It is also
possible to 'perk someone up'.
• Your visit really made him perk up.
• He was being miserable but he perked up when Mary arrived.
If you 'brighten up', you suddenly look or feel happier.
• She brightened up when she heard the good news.
• You need to brighten up. Your long face is putting off the customers.
If you 'liven up', you become more energetic or cheerful. You can also 'liven up' a place,
event or person.
• You need to liven up a bit. You're so miserable it is making everybody
feel unhappy.
• We need to liven up the party. Everyone looks miserable.
If you 'calm down', you stop feeling angry, upset or excited. It's also possible to 'calm
someone down'.
• You need to calm down a bit. You're too excited.
• Calm down. Let me explain.
If you have had an experience that has made you feel unhappy, you need to 'get over' it.
• It took me a year to get over being made redundant.
• You need to get over your disappointment and move on with your life.
If you are feeling sad or unhappy, you can force yourself out of this mood – you can
'snap out of it'. This is an informal expression.
• You need to snap out of this mood and do something positive.
• I hope he snaps out of this soon.
If you have been acting emotionally and unreasonably because you are upset or angry,
you need to 'pull yourself together' and act reasonably.
• Pull yourself together and stop this stupid mood.
• I need some time alone to pull myself together.
If you are so excited about something that you behave in a silly or hasty way, you are
'carried away' by the idea.
• I got carried away reading my book and didn't get any sleep.
• We mustn't get carried away with our enthusiasm. We must exercise
reasonable judgment.
If you 'freak out', you start behaving in a very strange or violent way. This is an
informal expression. You can also 'freak someone out'.
• I freaked out when I saw my boyfriend kissing another girl.
• It freaked me out to discover that the woman I was talking to was really a
man.
If you 'flip out', you start to behave in a very excited or strange way. This is informal
and mainly American.
• He flipped out when they wouldn't let him on the flight because he was
too late.
• The children flipped out when they met Mickey
Phrasal Verbs with UP
I've had a lot of requests for some lessons on 'up' so here is the first of several. We'll
cover the easy part today.
One common use for 'up' in phrasal verbs is to indicate
• An upward movement
• An increase
• An improvement
See how that applies to these eight verbs.
If you display something such as a poster, you 'put it up' on a wall or a notice-board.
• Have you seen the warning the boss has put up on the notice-board?
• Can you put up a poster in your window?
If somebody is miserable and you want them to be happier, you can tell them to 'cheer
up'.
• You look really unhappy. Cheer up!
• I wrote Pearson a letter to try to cheer him up a bit.
If you are sitting and then you rise from your chair, you 'stand up'.
• When the President arrives, everybody must stand up.
• Stand up straight when I am speaking to you.
If a party or a seminar is dull, you need to 'liven it up'.
• You need to liven up your ideas.
• How can we liven up this presentation?
If you want to make something stronger, you can 'build it up'.
• I have built up a strong team of workers.
 • I have been ill and need to build up my strength.
I can't hear very well these days – I'm old. When you speak to me, you need to speaker,
to 'speak up'.
• Can you speak up? There is a lot of background noise.
• It is a big room. You will have to speak up so that those in the back can
hear.
The place where you lived when you were a child is where you 'grew up'.
• I was born in Scotland but grew up in England.
• Where did you grow up?
If something increases fast, it 'shoots up'.
• The price of petrol has shot up recently.
• My English scores shot up after I started studying with Pearson.
Phrasal Verbs with UP 2
There is a group of expressions using 'up' where the 'up' is not necessary. For example
you can say 'fill' or 'fill up' and it means almost the same thing. So why do we add the
'up'? Well one possible answer is that 'we do it because we do it' – we have just
developed the habit of adding 'up'. However, often the 'up' seems to 'intensify' the verb,
to make it more 'complete'.
Look at these examples and see what I mean.
If you are late, you need to 'hurry up'.
• Please hurry up. We are terribly late.
• We need to hurry up or we will miss our flight.
You can 'ring up' somebody on the telephone.
• I will ring you up when I get back.
• You can ring me up if you need any help.
If you cut your skin, it needs to 'heal up'.
• This will take a week to heal up.
• I cut myself shaving and it will not heal up.
Before I go on a long journey, I have to 'fill up' my car with petrol ( or if I were in the
US 'gas'.)
• I need to fill up my car.
• The concert filled up quickly and not everybody could get in.
When I send a package, I 'wrap it up' well.
• Could you wrap this up for me?
• They didn't wrap it up properly and it got damaged.
If you have something valuable, it is a good idea to 'lock it up'.
• He did not lock up his desk properly and somebody stole his calculator.
• I think they should lock up pedophiles for a very long time.
If you don't have enough money to buy something, you need to 'save up'.
• I am saving up to go on a trip to New York.
• You'll have to save up if you want to buy a car.
When things are in a mess, you need to 'tidy them up'.
• We need to tidy up the office before the visitor comes.
• Tidy up your desk. It's such a mess.
Phrasal Verbs with OUT 5
If you 'shut out' a noise or light you prevent it from being heard or seen. You can also
'shut out' emotions and feelings, usually painful ones.
• We need to close the curtains and shut out the light.
• You will have to try to shut out those painful memories.
If you don't include somebody in an activity, you 'shut them out'. In the US, if you
prevent the other team from scoring, you have 'shut them out'.
• They claim that women are shut out from the key decision posts.
• The Yankees shut out the Red Sox.
If you 'storm out', you leave angrily.
• He stormed out of the meeting with an angry look on his face.
• Don't storm out. Stay and explain to us why you are so upset.
If you 'try something out', you test it to see if it is satisfactory.
• I want to try out this restaurant before we invite clients there.
• The company are trying out a new security system.
If you 'cry out', you shout or make a loud noise.
• He cried out in pain.
• He was so frightened that he cried out for help.
In informal English, if something 'is crying out for' something, it needs it urgently.
• The company is crying out for better leadership.
• The factory is crying out for modernization.
If you 'hand out' something, you give it to everybody in the group.
• Don't take notes. I'll hand out a summary later.
• We could try handing out some promotional leaflets in the street.
If you 'hand out' advice, criticism, a punishment etc., you give it to somebody (who
usually doesn't want to receive it.)
• She's good at handing out criticism but she can't take it.
• He's always handing out advice but he doesn't really know what he's
talking about.
If you 'invite somebody out' you ask them to go with you to some pleasant event.
• I've been invited out to dinner by an old friend.
• He invited me out to the cinema but I was too tired and went back to my
hotel room.
If you 'wear something out', you use it to the point where it becomes weak or damaged.
• My brakes have worn out. I need new ones urgently.
• I've worn out my shoes shopping for the perfect dress.
If you 'bump into' someone, you meet them by chance.
• I bumped into Martin in the mall.
 • You'll never guess who I bumped into today.
If you 'burst into a room' or 'burst into tears', you do it suddenly and without
warning.
• Don't burst into my room like that. Please knock first.
• When I told him the bad news, he burst into tears.
If something 'comes into' force, it begins to happen.
• The new tax rules come into effect from next Monday.
• When the changes come into effect, productivity is certain to rise.
If you say that a particular emotion or quality 'doesn't come into it', it means that
it doesn't influence the situation.
• I promoted Kate because she was the best person for the job and the fact that she
is my daughter didn't come into.
• She's rich because she's good at what she does. Luck doesn't come into it.
Often when we use 'go into' it has the idea of 'entering'.
• I was thinking about going into politics.
• The new model has just gone into production.
Sometimes 'go into' can mean to do things in great detail.
• The deal sounds good but we'll have to go into the details of the contract.
• It's very complicated and we don't have time to go into that now.
Time, money or energy that has 'gone into' a project, is what has been used or
spent on the project.
• Over $100,000 has gone into the development of this new system.
• I appreciate that a lot of effort has gone into the writing of this report.
If you 'grow into' an activity, you become better at doing it over time.
• She was very unsure at first but has really grown into her new job.
• Give it some time and you will grow into the role.
If you 'talk someone into' doing something, you persuade them to do it.
• I didn't want to come but Annie talked me into it.
• I think I can talk him into it.
If you 'tune into' a particular radio or television station, you select it.
• More and more people are tuning into 'The Apprentice'.
• People listen to their Ipods and don't tune into the radio as much as before.
Phrasal Verbs with INTO 3
If somebody 'flies into' an emotional state, they do it very suddenly and without
warning.
• He flew into a panic when he heard that the big boss was coming.
• She flew into a rage when she heard that her project had been cancelled.
If you 'fool someone into' doing something, you trick them into doing it.
• I fooled him into believing that next Monday was a public holiday.
• She fooled me into thinking that John was Italian.
If you 'slip into' a bad state or condition, you gradually start to be that way.
 • The economy is slipping into recession.
• He improved for a while but now he's slipping back into his old habits.
If you 'run into' somebody, you meet them by chance.
• I ran into Martin when I was doing some shopping.
• I hope to run into you again one of these days.
If a quantity 'runs into' the thousands, it is more than one thousand.
• The money spent on the project must run into the millions.
• The death toll runs into the hundreds.
If you 'run into difficulties', you begin to experience them.
• The company ran into difficulties in the 90s when consumer tastes
changed.
• We'll run into problems if we don't act now.
If you 'settle into' a new job, you begin to feel relaxed and at ease.
• How are you settling into your new job?
• I've had problems settling into my new company.
If you 'fling yourself into' a task, you do it with a lot of energy.
• He's flung himself into his new job. He's already made a lot of changes.
• She flings herself into everything she does. She has an amazing amount
of energy.
If you 'sink money into' a project, you invest it.
• Microsoft have sunk millions into developing their range of products.
• We'd need to sink a lot of money into the factory to turn it around.
If you 'sink into' a state, you gradually get worse.
• He's sunk into a depression over the last few months.
• The company has sunk deeper and deeper into debt.
If food is stored in a hot place for too long, it will 'go off'.
• I think this fish has gone off. It smells terrible.
• If you don't keep it in the fridge, it will soon go off.
As time continues, we say that time 'goes by'.
• One year went by without any news from him.
• Time goes by so slowly.
If you have an experience, you 'go through' the experience.
• I went through a lot of problems with my teenage daughter.
• The hurricane was an awful experience to go through.
If you are allowed to start something you can 'go ahead'.
• The boss said we can go ahead and make the necessary changes.
• We can't go ahead without approval from Head Office.
If you are ill, you may have 'gone down with' a virus.
• I went down with flu and had to take a week off work.
• My son has gone down with mumps.
If people receive news badly, it didn't 'go down' very well.
• The news of the redundancies went down very badly.
• The increase in price has gone down surprisingly well with our customers.
The way you 'go about' a job is the way that you handle it.
• You're not going about this very well.
• He's not going about the job in the right way and is having a lot of problems.
Every morning, my alarm clock 'goes off' too early!
• The burglar alarm went off and scared them away.
• I slept in because my alarm didn't go off.
If I want you to continue a story, I will say 'go on'.
• Go on. Tell me more details.
• Please go on. This is very interesting.
If you choose an option, you 'go for' that option.
• I'll go for the larger model.
• Which option will they go for?
• The target verbs for this unit are:
make up to form a part of the whole of sth
drop off to decline or decrease significantly
go up to increase in some way
move into to relocate to a new home
give up to surrender
stay in to remain at home, especially in the evening
account for to explain why sth is the way it is
rule out to eliminate a possible course of action
spring up to appear suddenly
focus on to give a lot of attention to sth
reach out to to ask for or to give help
•
• Vocabulary
lifestyle your way of life
wreak havoc create chaos
mobility the ability to move
on their own alone, by themselves
stick to something to remain attached to sth
the single life living without a companion
bachelor an unmarried man
•
•
• European Singles
• An increasing number of Europeans are choosing to live alone at an ever earlier age. This isn't
the stuff of philosophical meditations, but a fact of Europe's new economic landscape. "The shift
away from family life to solo lifestyle," observes Italian sociologist Giovanni Cintura, "makes up
an important part of the trend of individualism over the last century".
• The communications revolution, the shift from a business culture of stability to one of mobility
and the mass entry of women into the work force have wreaked havoc on Europeans' private
lives. More and more of them are remaining on their own: they're living longer, divorcing more
and marrying later--if at all. British marriage rates have dropped off by more than 30 percent in
the past ten years. INSEE, France's National Institute of Statistics, conducts surveys focused on
domestic demographics and a recent study revealed that the number of French people living
alone doubled between 1994 and 2002.
• The home-alone phenomenon remains an urban and a Northern European trend: people who live
in rural areas--as well as the Spaniards, Italians, Greeks, and Irish--tend to stick to families. The
Scandinavians, Dutch, and Germans like to live alone, as do 7 million Britons.
• In the next 15 years, the British population is expected to decline, but the number of houses is
expected to go up by 25 percent--an increase mainly accounted for by single people. In London,
luxury complexes with tiny flats, gyms, and easy access to urban pleasures are springing up for
young professionals. When single people move into the neighborhood, say geographers, latte
bars, gyms, local music bars, art galleries and restaurants are sure to follow.
• Women, it seems, enjoy the single life more than men. "Women are still expected to be the
housewife in couples," Cintura notes. "It's very difficult for women to overcome the traditional
stereotypes, so the only way they can achieve sexual equality is to live alone." Anna De
Kergolay, a London-based photo-journalist, has chosen to live alone but hasn't ruled out the idea
of marriage. "If I got married," she explains, "I would still want to have my own room - a place
where I could be by myself. I wouldn't give up my freedom for a man."
• By contrast, the bachelor tends to stay in. "The man who lives alone is more often a sad case,
especially with older men," says British psychologist Mark O'Keefe. "They often have no one to
reach out to for help when they need it and they tend to socialise less frequently than the
women."
•
•
• Comprehension Check
1. In what ways has the communications revolution changed the lifestyle of many Europeans?
2. How does the geography of an area change when singles move into the neighborhood?
3. Why do women seem to enjoy the single life more than men?
•
Discussion Points
1. Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages to living the 'single life'. To living with a
partner.
2. Are the lifestyle trends discussed in the reading passage typical of life in your country as well?
Explain.
3. Why do you think people who live in rural areas tend to 'stick to families'?
•
• Separable or Inseparable? Transitive or Intransitive?
• Decide which of these sentences are correct (C) and which are incorrect (I).
• Example:
• We cannot rule out any of the possibilities. C
We can't rule out it. I
We can't rule it out. C
• 1 She really should give up smoking. ___
2 She really should give it up. ___
3 She really should give up it. ___
• 4 Could you look at the report for me? ___
5 Could you look it at for me? ___
6 Could you look at it for me? ___
• 7 There's no accounting for the financial loss. ___
8 There's no accounting for it. ___
9 There's no accounting for. ___
• 10 We need to focus it on. ___
11 We need to focus on the main issue. ___
12 We need to focus on it. ___
 • 13 Prices keep going up. ___
14 Prices keep going up in the shops. ___
15 They keep going up. ___
• 16 I'll drop off the books at the library. ___
17 I'll drop them off. ___
18 I'll drop off them. ___
•
Word Partnerships
• Which word or phrase best follows each phrasal verb?
• the financial slump * in value * all the issues * a story and sit down * the problem * the missing
soldiers * tonight * the overdue library books
• 1. go up in value
2. look at __________________
3. come in__________________
4. stay in ___________________
5. make up __________________
6. account for ________________
7. focus on __________________
8. drop off ____________________
•
Word Square
• A word-square worksheet for phrasal verbs is available for downloading and printing here
•
About the author
• Robert Wyss is currently employed as Director of Studies at a language school in Milan, Italy.
He has also taught several years at a Roman college preparatory school (Lyceo Classico Statale).
His undergraduate degree is in Journalism/Anthropology and he has recently completed a Mast

Ww/L1.1

What is a prefix?
A prefix is a group of letters which you can add to the beginning of a root word*
to change the meaning of the word. e.g. mis + fortune = misfortune

*A root word stands on its own as a word but you can make new words from it
by adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
For example, 'comfort' is a root word. By adding the prefix 'dis' and the suffix
'able' you can make new words such as 'discomfort' and 'comfortable'.
Prefix meanings:
Every prefix has a meaning, for example:
The prefix 'un' means 'not'
The root word 'clear' means 'bright', 'free from difficulty'

un + clear = unclear which means 'not clear' or 'dim', 'difficult to see or

understand'
There are no rules to help you remember which prefix you should use, although
knowing the meaning of the prefix can help.
Here are some examples of prefixes and their meanings...
 Prefix Meaning
mis means 'wrong' or 'badly'
e.g. 'misspelled' or misspelt means 'wrongly spelled'
sub means under
e.g. 'subway' means 'a way under the ground'
pre means 'before in time', 'in front of' or 'superior'
e.g. 'prepacked' means 'packed before'
un means not (there are also several other prefixes which mean not)
e.g. 'unhurt' means 'not hurt'

If you are uncertain whether the prefix you have used is correct, check the word
in a dictionary when you proof-read your writing.

For more prefixes and their meanings take a look at factsheets 3 and 4 in this
section.
Ww/L1.1

Adding prefixes to root words

1. Generally when you add a prefix to a root word* the spelling of the prefix and
the root words stays the same.

*A root word stands on its own as a word but you can make new words from it
by adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
Prefix + Root word = Word
un + kind = unkind
im + mature = immature
bi + cycle = bicycle
mis + fire = misfire
in + visible = invisible

Exceptions
When you add a prefix to a root word the spelling of both usually stays the
same, although when the prefix 'all' is added to a root word the final 'l' of 'all' is
dropped.

all + together = altogether

all + ways = always
2. With some root words more than one type of prefix may be added to give the
word different meanings.
 Prefix + Root = Word
word
dis + appear = disappear - means to no longer
appear, or cease to appear
re + appear = reappear - means to appear again

3. Sometimes you can add more than one prefix to a word at the same time.
Prefix + Prefix + Root word = Word
re + dis + cover = rediscover

4. You can also add a prefix to a word which already has a suffix* added to it.
*A suffix is a group of letters that you add to the end of a root word.
Prefix + Root word + Suffix = Word
re + play + ing = replayin
g
un + want + ed = unwante
d
Ww/L1.1

Prefixes meaning 'not'

There are several prefixes which reverse the meaning of a word. An easier way
to remember them is if you think of them to essentially mean 'not'.
Prefix Meaning
un means not
e.g. 'unhurt' means 'not hurt'
im means not
e.g. 'impolite' means 'not polite'
il means not
e.g. 'illegal' means 'not legal'
in means not
e.g. 'informal' means 'not formal'
ir means not
e.g.'irregular' means 'not regular'
dis * one of the meanings of this prefix is also 'not'
e.g. 'disagree' means 'not agree'

* For the other meanings of the prefix 'dis' see factsheet 4.

Other prefixes
Here are some other examples of common prefixes for you to learn.

Prefix Meaning
dis means away, apart, between, utterly (when used with a negative
word) and not.
e.g. 'disarm' means to remove or take weapons away
mis means 'wrong' or 'badly'
e.g. 'misfortune' is when your are not lucky and things go wrong or
badly
under means 'below' or 'beneath'
e.g. 'underground' means below or beneath the ground
over means upper, outer, over, superior or excessive
e.g. 'overweight' means too heavy or fat
re means again
e.g. 'replay' means to play something again
trans means across or through
e.g. 'transatlantic' means across the Atlantic ocean
inter means among, between or together
e.g. 'intermission' is the short period of time between the parts in a
performance or a film
super means in excess, beyond
e.g. 'supersonic' means faster or beyond the speed of sound
anti means against, in opposition to
e.g. 'anticlockwise' is opposite to the direction that the hands of a
clock move in
ante means before
e.g. 'antenatal' means before giving birth
post means after
e.g. 'postpone' means to put something off until later, or after it was
originally planned

You can find Skillswise at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

This factsheet is BBC Copyright
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a word ending. It is a group of letters you can add to the end of a root
word*
e.g. walking, helpful

*A root word stands on its own as a word, but you can make new words from it
by adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
For example, 'comfort' is a root word. By adding the prefix 'dis' and the suffix
'able' you can make new words such as 'discomfort' and 'comfortable'.

Adding suffixes to words can change or add to their meaning, but most
importantly they show how a word will be used in a sentence and what part of
speech (e.g. noun, verb, adjective) the word belongs to.

e.g. If you want to use the root word 'talk' in the following sentence:
I was (talk) to Samina.
You need to add the suffix 'ing' so that the word 'talk' makes better sense
grammatically:
"I was talking to Samina".
There are various suffixes we use. Probably the most common are 'ed' and 'ing'.
Here are some other suffixes and examples.
Suffix Example Suffix Example
ed walk + ed = walked ness happy + ness =
happiness
ing say + ing = saying al accident + al =
accidental
er tall + er = taller ary imagine + ary =
imaginary
tion educate + tion = able accept + able =
education acceptable
sion divide + sion = ly love + ly = lovely
division
cian music + cian = ment excite + ment =
musician excitement
fully hope + fully = ful help + ful + helpful
hopefully
est large + est = largest y ease + y = easy

NB: Adding a suffix to some root words will change the spelling of the new
word. There are some spelling rules to help you learn why and when this
happens. For more information see factsheets 2 and 3 on suffix spelling rules.

You can find Skillswise at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

This factsheet is BBC Copyright

Suffix spelling rules - double letters

Usually when you add a suffix to a root word the spelling of both stays the
same:
e.g. care + ful = careful
But there are several important groups of words where the spelling of the root
word changes when you add a suffix.

Sometimes the spelling changes because of the 'Doubling' rules.

As always, there are exceptions to these 4 rules, but they are a good starting
guide:
1] For most short (one syllable) words that end in a single consonant (anything
but 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u') you need to double the last letter when you add a suffix:
e.g. run + ing = running
sun + y = sunny

If the word ends with more than one consonant, you don't double the last letter:
e.g. pump + ed = pumped
sing + ing = singing

2] For most longer (more than one syllable) words that end in 'l' you need to
double the 'l' when you add the suffix:
e.g. travel + ing = travelling
cancel + ed = cancelled

3] For most longer (more than one syllable) words that have the stress on the
last syllable when you say them AND end in a single consonant (anything but
'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u') you need to double the last letter:
e.g. begin + er = beginner
prefer + ing = preferring

If the word has more than one syllable and ends in a single consonant, but the
stress isn't on the last syllable, then you don't need to double the last letter
before adding a suffix:
e.g. offer + ing = offering
benefit + ed = benefited

4] If you have a word ending in a consonant and a suffix starting in a

consonant, you don't need to double the last letter of the word:
e.g. enrol + ment = enrolment
commit + ment = commitment
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Rw/L1.3

Suffix spelling rules - double letters

Usually when you add a suffix to a root word the spelling of both stays the
same:
e.g. care + ful = careful
But there are several important groups of words where the spelling of the root
word changes when you add a suffix.

Sometimes the spelling changes because of the 'Doubling' rules.

As always, there are exceptions to these 4 rules, but they are a good starting
guide:
1] For most short (one syllable) words that end in a single consonant (anything but 'a',
'e', 'i', 'o', 'u') you need to double the last letter when you add a suffix:
e.g. run + ing = running
sun + y = sunny

If the word ends with more than one consonant, you don't double the last letter:
e.g. pump + ed = pumped
sing + ing = singing

2] For most longer (more than one syllable) words that end in 'l' you need to double the
'l' when you add the suffix:
e.g. travel + ing = travelling
cancel + ed = cancelled

3] For most longer (more than one syllable) words that have the stress on the last
syllable when you say them AND end in a single consonant (anything but 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o',
'u') you need to double the last letter:
e.g. begin + er = beginner
prefer + ing = preferring

If the word has more than one syllable and ends in a single consonant, but the stress
isn't on the last syllable, then you don't need to double the last letter before adding a
suffix:
e.g. offer + ing = offering
benefit + ed = benefited

4] If you have a word ending in a consonant and a suffix starting in a consonant, you
don't need to double the last letter of the word:
e.g. enrol + ment = enrolment
commit + ment = commitment
 You can find Skillswise at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise
This factsheet is BBC Copyright

More suffix spelling rules

'y' to 'i' rule
When you add a suffix to a word which ends in a consonant followed by a
'y', change the 'y' to 'i'.

e.g. The word 'happy' ends in 'py'.

When you add the suffix 'ness', change the 'y' to 'i' to make the word happiness:
happy + ness = happiness.

Exceptions to the rule.

If you are adding the suffix 'ing' to a word ending in 'y', keep the 'y'.
e.g. The word 'copy' ends in 'py'.
When you add 'ing' the 'y' doesn't change to an 'i' because you would have 2 'i's
together: copy + ing = copying.

Silent 'e' rule

When you add a 'y' or a suffix which starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) to a
word which ends in a silent 'e', drop the silent 'e'.

Silent 'e' words are ones that end with a consonant and have an 'e' at the end,
such as hope, like, love. If you say the word to yourself you don't really hear the
'e' at the end.

e.g. The word 'noise' ends in a silent 'e'.

When you add the suffix 'y', the 'e' is dropped to make the word, noisy:
noise + y = noisy.

The word 'like' ends in a silent 'e'.

When you add the suffix 'ing', the 'e' is dropped to make the word, liking:
like + ing = liking.

Exceptions to the rule. If a word ends in 'ce', or 'ge', keep the 'e' if you add a
suffix beginning with either an 'a', or an 'o'. (This is done to keep the 'c' or 'g'
sounding soft.)

e.g. The word 'peace' ends in 'ce'.

When you add on the suffix 'able' the silent 'e' is kept to make the word,
peaceable: peace + able = peaceable

NB: All these rules also apply to words which have a prefix before the root
word.
For example if you add the suffix 'ness' to the root word 'unhappy' you would
still change the 'y' to 'i': un + happy + ness = unhappiness
 You can find Skillswise at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise
This factsheet is BBC Copyright

More suffix spelling rules

'y' to 'i' rule
When you add a suffix to a word which ends in a consonant followed by a
'y', change the 'y' to 'i'.

e.g. The word 'happy' ends in 'py'.

When you add the suffix 'ness', change the 'y' to 'i' to make the word happiness:
happy + ness = happiness.

Exceptions to the rule.

If you are adding the suffix 'ing' to a word ending in 'y', keep the 'y'.
e.g. The word 'copy' ends in 'py'.
When you add 'ing' the 'y' doesn't change to an 'i' because you would have 2 'i's
together: copy + ing = copying.

Silent 'e' rule

When you add a 'y' or a suffix which starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) to a
word which ends in a silent 'e', drop the silent 'e'.

Silent 'e' words are ones that end with a consonant and have an 'e' at the end,
such as hope, like, love. If you say the word to yourself you don't really hear the
'e' at the end.

e.g. The word 'noise' ends in a silent 'e'.

When you add the suffix 'y', the 'e' is dropped to make the word, noisy:
noise + y = noisy.

The word 'like' ends in a silent 'e'.

When you add the suffix 'ing', the 'e' is dropped to make the word, liking:
like + ing = liking.

Exceptions to the rule. If a word ends in 'ce', or 'ge', keep the 'e' if you add a
suffix beginning with either an 'a', or an 'o'. (This is done to keep the 'c' or 'g'
sounding soft.)

e.g. The word 'peace' ends in 'ce'.

When you add on the suffix 'able' the silent 'e' is kept to make the word,
peaceable: peace + able = peaceable

NB: All these rules also apply to words which have a prefix before the root
word.
For example if you add the suffix 'ness' to the root word 'unhappy' you would
still change the 'y' to 'i': un + happy + ness = unhappiness
 You can find Skillswise at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise
This factsheet is BBC Copyright
Print this factsheet then close this window

Rw/L1.3

More suffix spelling rules

'y' to 'i' rule

When you add a suffix to a word which ends in a consonant followed by a 'y',
change the 'y' to 'i'.

e.g. The word 'happy' ends in 'py'.

When you add the suffix 'ness', change the 'y' to 'i' to make the word happiness:
happy + ness = happiness.

Exceptions to the rule.

If you are adding the suffix 'ing' to a word ending in 'y', keep the 'y'.
e.g. The word 'copy' ends in 'py'.
When you add 'ing' the 'y' doesn't change to an 'i' because you would have 2 'i's
together: copy + ing = copying.

Silent 'e' rule

When you add a 'y' or a suffix which starts with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) to a word
which ends in a silent 'e', drop the silent 'e'.

Silent 'e' words are ones that end with a consonant and have an 'e' at the end, such as
hope, like, love. If you say the word to yourself you don't really hear the 'e' at the end.

e.g. The word 'noise' ends in a silent 'e'.

When you add the suffix 'y', the 'e' is dropped to make the word, noisy:
noise + y = noisy.

The word 'like' ends in a silent 'e'.

When you add the suffix 'ing', the 'e' is dropped to make the word, liking:
like + ing = liking.

Exceptions to the rule. If a word ends in 'ce', or 'ge', keep the 'e' if you add a suffix
beginning with either an 'a', or an 'o'. (This is done to keep the 'c' or 'g' sounding soft.)

e.g. The word 'peace' ends in 'ce'.

When you add on the suffix 'able' the silent 'e' is kept to make the word, peaceable:
 Silent 'e' rule

peace + able = peaceable

NB: All these rules also apply to words which have a prefix before the root
word.
For example if you add the suffix 'ness' to the root word 'unhappy' you would
still change the 'y' to 'i': un + happy + ness = unhappiness

You can find Skillswise at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

This factsheet is BBC Copyright