Root Words

What are root words ?

Root words are words that

don’t have any word parts
added to them .
What are the word parts that we know?

-ed -s
-ing
-es
 For example,
the word

added
has ed at the end
 Word
Root word ending
added
So , the word add is the root word because it has no
ending attached to it.
 Can you find the root word?

Word
Root word
playing ending

First, look for any word endings.

Then , look at the word without the ending.
So, the root word is play .
Which word has the same root word as
asked?

a. played
b. eating
c. asks
Which word has the same word ending as
talking?

a. talked
b. reading
c. sleep
Words that don’t have any parts added to them are
called
root words
ask play
talk jump
dance speak
drink sleep
study teach

are all root words because they don’t have any parts added
to them.
 Sometimes you can add word parts before the word too.

for example, the root word

happy
Has no word parts added to it

But when we add the word part –un before the word happy , it
becomes

unhappy
The word part –un changed the meaning of the word.

-un means not

unfair not fair

untidy not tidy
unwell not well
Another word part that could be added before a word is –re.
It also changes the meaning of the word. For example,

write
When we add -re before the word write
it becomes

rewrite
-re means again
rewrite write again
replay play again

reread read again

redo do again
So ,

un not

re again
The word part –dis can also be added before a root word
and it also changes the meaning of the word.
for example, the word

appear
Has no word parts added to it

But when we add –dis before it,

It becomes

disappear
Dis means opposite of
dislike opposite of like

disagree opposite of agree

disconnect opposite of connect

I dislike ice cream.

Dislike means …..
I don’t like ice cream.
re
Are all word parts that come
Before the word

un
They are called

dis Prefixes
A word part that you add
before the word Without parts

Prefix word
re Root word
dis
un
Before Root Word After

Word
Prefix word endings
re un ed ing
dis -es -s
 Date : 17/11/2021

Practice Book
Page 67
Disagree- the opposite of agree

unable- not able

Disappear- opposite of appear

Unseen – not seen

Retraces – traces again

Page 68
 stops

reaches
Page 56