General Vocabulary

Prefixes
Prefixes such as dis-, im-, un-, etc., can be used to make opposites of many verbs and adjectives (see
pages 32 and 35). Other prefixes can be used to add meaning to a base word or word root. Some of
these prefixes can be used in more than one way, depending on their context. The exercises on the
next two pages look at some of these.

Exercise 1
Match the prefixes on the left with their meaning(s) on the right. Two of these prefixes have one
meaning (although used in different ways).

Prefix Meaning

1. auto- (a) After or later than.

2. bi- (b) Between.
3. circum- (c) Exactly half / partly but not completely.
4. co- (d) Across / changing / between.
5. inter- (e) Together / sharing.
6. micro- (f) Single / one.
7. mono- (g) Before.
8. post- (h) One small part of a larger thing / below another thing / smaller or less
9. pre- important than another thing.
10. semi- (i) Two / twice / double.
11. sub- (j) Around.
12. tele (k) Of or by yourself / working by itself.
13. trans- (l) Extremely small.
14. uni- (m) At or over a long distance.

Exercise 2
Use the prefixes from the left-hand column above, and the base words / roots from the box below,
to form words that can complete definitions 1 – 28. One definition can be completed with two
words (using the same prefix).

...annual …biography …conference …determined …ennial …ference …final …form

…graduate …habit …hesion …ient …late …lingual …mature …mission …mutes
…que …nomy …ordinate …organism …poly …pone …precious …scope …standard
…tonous …val …vent

1. A / an ________________ student is a student who is studying after receiving an advanced degree

such as an M.A. or Ph.D.

2. A / an ________________ voice or sound is boring and unpleasant because it does not change its
loudness or become higher or lower.

3. Something that is ________________ is the same everywhere you find it.

4. When you ________________ something, you change spoken or written words into another
language.

5. A / an ________________ is one of two games, such as football, that are played immediately before
the last game in a sports competition.

6. A / an ________________ is a short break in the middle of a play, film, concert, etc.

7. ________________ is a situation in which people or things combine well to form a unit.

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General Vocabulary
8. A ____________ is a meeting held among people who are in different places, using an electronic
communication system such as a computer.

9. An event that is ____________ happens twice every year.

10. An event that is ____________ happens once every two years.

11. A / an ____________ is the distance measured around the edge of a circle, or the edge of a circle or
a round object / area.

12. A / an ____________ is a book about your life that you write yourself.

13. If you ____________ something, you decide that it will not be done at the time it was planned, but
at a later time.

14. If someone finds a way of avoiding a rule or law that limits them, especially by using a clever trick
that does not break the law, we can say that they ____________ it.

15. A / an ____________ is a piece of equipment for looking at things that are too small to see normally.

16. Something that is __________ is very special, unusual, or good, or is not the same as anything or
anyone else.

17. If something happens too soon or before its usual time, we can say that it is ____________.

18. Something that is ____________ is not as good as you would normally expect, or not good enough
to be accepted.

19. If two people live together in a physical relationship but are not married, we say that they
____________.

20. A / an ____________ is a living thing that is so small you cannot see without special equipment (such
as that in 15 above).

21. If something ____________, it changes into something completely different.

22. A company that has complete control of the product or service it provides because it is the only
company that provides it can be said to be, or have, a / an ____________.

23. If something is ____________, it happens or develops in a particular way because of things that have
existed, happened, or been decided before.

24. Someone who is ____________ is able to speak two languages very well.

25. If a country, state, region, organization, etc., has ____________, it is independent and has the power
to govern itself.

26. Something that is ____________ exists, happens or stays somewhere for a short period of time only.

27. If a person is ____________, he or she has less power or authority than someone else.

28. A / an ____________ stone is one that is used in jewelry and is fairly valuable, but not as valuable
as other stones such as diamonds or rubies.

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