November Words expensive: Expensive is the word expense with the suffix -ive added and the final e dropped. Related words are expend and expense. governor: This is the root word govern with the suffix -or. Like -er, the suffix -or often signifies a person or thing that does something. The governor governs; the donor donates; the actor acts. impression: Impression is the root word press with the prefix im- and the suffix -ion. Press is a common root meaning “exerting pressure.” Footprints in the snow make an impression. The impression your attitude makes on people is pressed into their minds. Related words are depress/depression (things are pressed down) and compress/compression (things are pressed together). The prefix im- means “in, into, toward, or within.” Other words where im- means “in, into, toward, or within” include immigrants and imports. Remind students that im- can also signal an opposite relationship, as in impossible independence: This is the root word depend with the prefix in- and the suffix -ence. Notice that independence is the opposite of dependence. The prefix in-, like im- (impossible), often signals an opposite relationship, as in inactive and inconvenient. The depend/dependent/dependence relationship occurs in many words, including differ/different/difference, innocent/innocence, and patient/patience. submarine: Submarine is the root word marine with the prefix sub-. Marine means “water” and sub- means “under.” Submarines go under the water. Other sub- words in which sub- means under or below include subfreezing, submerge, and subway. transportation: The root word is port, which means “bring or carry.” The prefix trans- means “across or through.” When you carry things across a place, you transport them. Other words in which trans- means “across or through” include transatlantic and transfusion. Other examples of -ation words include fascination and registration. unfinished: Students should notice the root word finish with the -ed ending. The prefix un- often changes a word to its opposite meaning, as in unfriendly and unhappy. The ending -ed puts a word in past tense, as in walked, raised, baked, and stumbled.