Most 

common 
derivational affixes
There are many different derivational prefixes used to
form new verbs in English.
The most common derivational prefixes, in order of
frequency of occurrence,
are:
                        PREFFIX Example
• -Re  REABSORB REABSORB, REARM, REBUILD. ETC

• -DIS DISARM DISARM, DISCONNECT, DISLIKE.

• -OVER
OVERBOOK OVERBOOK, OVERCOME, OVEREATUNBEND, 
• -UN
•   -MIS UNFOLD UNFOLD, UNPACK.

•   -OUT MISHANDL
E
MISHANDLE, MISINFORM.

OUTDO OUTDO, OUTBID,

• Notice that all four of the most
frequent derivational suffixes
have a basic meaning of
'become' or 'cause to be'.
However, when different suffixes
are added to the same base,
separate meanings can result.
• Many verbs formed with re- have been in
use for a considerable time, but re- is also
frequently used to create new words in
technical discourse: e.g. redeploy,
redimension, retransmit.
                        SUFFIX                    EXAMPLE
• -IZEL • ENERGIZE,COMPUTERIZE,
ITEMIZE.
• -EN • AWAKEN, FLATTEN.
•  ACTIVATE,LIQUIDATE,REGULATE
• -ATE
• -(I) FY • BEAUTIFY, CODIFY,NOTIFY.
 • The main verb in a clause
                        Valency determines the other elements
Pattern
that are required in that clause.
The pattern of the clause
elements is called the valency
pattern for the verb.
 There are five major valency patterns
• Intransitive:                                               Monotransitive:
• Subject + Verb.                                 * Subject + verb + D.O
• The train arrived.                            Mark  cooked  a delicious meal.
•  
• Ditransitive:                                                Complex transitive:
• Subject +   Verb + I.O + D.O                 *Subject + verb + D.O + O.P
• I  gave the man a plate of food       The children named  the dog Royer.
•                                                                    * Subject + verb + D.O + O.A
•                                                           Our parents took us to Disney World.
                      Copular or linking verbs:
these verbs like be appear, feel, look, seem, get, go,change, turn, can also
have two valency patterns.
1 _  Subject + verb + subject predicative.
               Janet felt a bit braver.
2_ Subject + verb + Obligatory Adverbial.
            Mark live in Spain.
 • Monotransitive pattern with a noun clause as direct
object:
• He said (that) He was going to make a copy.
• Distransitive patterns with a prepositional phrase
expressing the indirect object:
• He gave a beautiful present to his sister.
Variations • Distransitive pattern with a noun phrase for the indirect

or transitive object and a noun clause for the direct object 

• The headmaster told the students (that) They hadn´t
patterns passed the exam.
• Verbs in all patterns transitive and intransitive  can occur
with optional adverbials:
• The children played happily in the garden.
Most common verbs allow more than one
valency pattern according to context like,
• Speak, help,find,make,stand,change,meet.There are few verbs
whichare either transitive or intransitive.
• The boy spoke first.   (Intransitive).
• They all spoke French. (monotransitive).
• We might find the glasses. (monotransitive).
• You might find this useful.  (complex transitive).
Multi-word lexical verbs
structure and meaning
That is, their meaning cannot be predicted from the meaning of each
individual word.
four classes:
phrasal verbs
prepositional verbs
phrasal-prepositional verbs
other multi-word verb constructions.
• Phrasal verbs consist of a verb followed by an adverbial particle (e.g.
carry out, find out, or pick up). When these adverbial particles are
used independently,they have literal meanings signifying location or
direction (e.g. out, in, up, down,on, off).
• Prepositional verbs consist of a verb followed by a preposition, such
as look at, talk about, listen to.
• Phrasal-prepositional verbs contain both an adverbial particle and a
preposition, as in get away with.