PREFIXES

Inglés profesional II
Frida Yovana Pongo

Semana N° 1
AIM
•: Recognize different types of
Prefixes considering their
meanings .
 What is a prefix?
• A prefix is something we add to the beginning of a word to
change its meaning.
• Remember- we add a prefix to the beginning of a word and a
suffix to the end of a word.
• Examples-
• Roger was unhappy.
• Sally is beautiful.
 Prefix and Antonyms
• Antonyms can sometimes be formed with a negative prefix.
What is the negative prefix for these words?

• Believable
• Credible
• Honest
• Legal
• Probable
• Responsible
.
 Prefix and Antonyms
• Other negative prefixes have different meanings, Look a t this
examples with “used”
• Abused : used cruelly or badly
• Disused : not used any more
• Unused : not ever used
• Misused : used in the wrong way
• Overused : used too much
• Underused : not used enough
.
 Types of prefixes
• un and dis are examples of types of prefixes we
can add to words.

• Un means not or the opposite of the rest of the

word. Example- The building was unsafe.
• dis also means not.
Example- she disagreed with me about going
to college.
 Find the prefixes

In the text below, where are the prefixes? Which one that we
have not mentioned can you find?
• An unsafe building is not good for it’s residents. It is unfair for them
to have to live there. They should be rebuilt and the safety
measures should be reviewed.
 Find the prefixes

In the text below, where are the prefixes? Which one that we
have not mentioned can you find?
• An unsafe building is not good for it’s residents. It is unfair for
them to have to live there. They should be rebuilt and the safety
measures should be reviewed.
 Find the prefixes answers

• We need to reorganize the party, as more people are coming than

I thought!
 Find the prefixes answers

• We need to reorganize the party, as more people are coming than

I thought!

“re ………” = to say or to do something again.

Types of prefixes
 NEGATIVE PREFIXES
• DIS-: DISHONEST, DISAPPEAR
• IL-: Illiterate, Illegal
• IM-: IMPOSIBLE, IMPATIENT
• IN-: INCORRECT, INADEQUATE
• IR-: IRRESPONSIBLE, IRREGULAR
• UN-: UNHAPPY, UNFAIR
PREFIXES THAT INDICATE REPETITION

• RE-: REARM, RECREATE, REBUILD

 PREFIXES THAT INDICATE
COOPERATION

• CO-:
COOPERATION
CO-EXIST,
COLLABORATE
 PREFIXES THAT INDICATE
DEPRIVATION

• DE-:
DEFORESTATION DEFORESTACIÓN
DEFROST DESCONGELAR
DEHYDRATE DESHIDRATAR
 PREFIXES THAT INDICATE
THAT SOMETHING IS
WRONG
• MIS-: MISBEHAVE, MISUNDERSTAND
 PREFIX THAT INDICATES
THAT SOMETHING IS IN
EXCESS

• OVER-:
OVERPOPULATION, OVERWEIGHT, OVERSLEEP
 PREFIX THAT INDICATES
THAT SOMETHING IS
LACKING

• UNDER:
UNDERWEIGHT, UNDERESTIMATE
 PREFIXES THAT INDICATE
QUANTITY

• MONO-: MONOLINGUAL
• BI-: BILINGUAL
• TRI-: TRIANGLE
• MULTI-: MULTI-MILLIONAIRE
 Add the
word prefix
un dis
happy
angry
organized
fair
agree
friendly
like
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised
fair
agree
friendly
like
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair
agree
friendly
like
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair unfair
agree
friendly
like
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair unfair
agree disagree
friendly
like
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair unfair
agree disagree
friendly unfriendly
like
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair unfair
agree disagree
friendly unfriendly
like unlike dislike
fit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair unfair
agree disagree
friendly unfriendly
like unlike dislike
fit unfit
healthy
 Answer
word uns dis
happy unhappy
angry
organised unorganised disorganised
fair unfair
agree disagree
friendly unfriendly
like unlike dislike
fit unfit
healthy unhealthy
 Exercise:
Add a prefix to the following verbs to change the meaning to the opposite

Example: do → undo .
place → missplace .

1. wrap : unwrap
2. use : re-use
3. agree : disagree
4. change : interchange
5. behave : misbehave
6. understand : misunderstand
7. fold : unfold
8. spell : misspell
9. connect : disconnect
10.advantage : disadvantage
 Self assessment
Complete each word with a prefix chosen from the list.
re- post- over- pre- super-

Example: He has to reconsider (consider) his decisión.

overcrowded
11. We hope the bus won’t be ______________________(crowded).
reelected
12. Do you think he will be ___________________ (elected) for a
second time?
postdoctoral
13. He did ___________________ (doctoral) work at Oxford after his Ph.
D.
precaution
14. He installed an alarm as a _____________________ (caution).
15. The tourist guide promised the tourists that they would get a
refund
__________________ (fund) if they did not like the trip.
postscript
16. He added a _________________ (script) at the end of the letter.
supersonic (sonic) plane flies from New York to Paris in
17. That _______________
two hours and forty minutes.