LESSON 9
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT (R, W)
Prefixes and their meanings
STUDY SKILL Prefixes
Use prefixes to help you understand the meaning of a word.
Some prefixes give a word the opposite meaning. For example:
■
dis- gives the noun
advantages the opposite meaning:
However, there were some disadvantages.
■
un- gives the adjective
helpful the opposite meaning:
The people were very unhelpful.
Look at these other prefixes and their meanings
anti- (against) -
anticlockwise
sub- (under) -
subway
super- (above, large) -
supervisor, supermarket
pre- (before) -
predict
multi- (many) -
multimedia
Ex 1,2,3,4
1. Use a dictionary to complete the definition of
prefix.
A prefix is a group of letters that...
2. Match the underlined words in 1-6 with meanings a-f.
1
Most drivers are impatient when they are at the traffic lights.
2
I distrust most advertisements.
J I want to buy an inexpensive watch. I haven’t got much money.
4
It was irresponsible to let the children play in the busy street.
5
It is unusual to have so much rain in the desert.
6
Yuki and Toni had a disagreement. Now they are not speaking to each other
3. Add the negative prefixes in the box to the words in the sentences. Use a
dictionary to help you.
un- m- ir- im- dis-
1. Kim felt very happy when he saw the exam results.
2. Paulo ___ liked the new lecturer. He thought her lectures were difficult to
understand.
3. It is difficult to learn all th e ___ regular verbs in English.
4. This exercise is possible. I can’t do it.
5. The essay is complete. You must write a conclusion.
6. It is moral to take money from the poor.
a does not happen often
b different opinions
c cheap
d not wanting to wait for something
e not sensible
f do not believe
7. Because the
statistics were accurate, we had to calculate the results again.
8. Rafa is a very organized person. His desk is always tidy and he’s usually
late for meetings.
4. Match the underlined words 1-5 with meanings a-e.
1
You should preview the document and then print it.
2
After the success of her TV show, Belal became a superstar in her own country.
J The film was in English, but fortunately there were subtitles.
4
The antibiotic penicillin was discovered in 1928.
5
The city centre has a multi-storey car park
REVIEW
Ex 1, 2
1. Complete the words from Unit 7 with two vowels.
ingred __ nts
5
ar__
_nd
9
f__ld
J
L
on __ ns
6
cont _ ns
10
b _ Iding
3
m
__
sure
7
c __
ntrics
11
r__son
4
s __ son
8
br_. _d
12
mater
__
Is
2. Skim the article about coffee and match the topic sentences with the paragraphs.
There is one extra topic sentence.
a In many societies coffee is an important part of the culture, b Coffee has a
similar position in many western societies, c Originally coffee came from
Ethiopia, in Africa, d Coffee is made from the roasted beans of the coffee plant.
a medicine for curing infection
b with many floors
c words at the bottom of a film/TV
screen to help you understand
d a very famous singer or actor
e see before