Topic 8: Prefixes and Suffixes

 

Topic - 8

 

PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

In English, we often make new words by adding small parts to the beginning or the end of a word. These parts are called prefixes and suffixes. They change the meaning function of the word, making our language richer and more flexible. Understanding prefixes and suffixes helps students to guess the meaning of new words, improve vocabulary, and use words more effectively in speaking and writing.

 

• A prefix is added before the root word to change its meaning.

• A suffix is added after the root word to change its form or grammatical function.

 

Examples

 

Prefixes

1. Un + happy → Unhappy (not happy)

2. Re + write → Rewrite (write again)

3. Mis + understand → Misunderstand (understand wrongly)

4. Pre + view → Preview (see before)

 

Suffixes

1. Teach + er → Teacher (a person who teaches)

2. Hope+ ful→ Hopeful (full of hope)

3. Care + less → Careless (without care)

4. Kind + ness → Kindness (the state of being kind)

 

In short, prefixes usually change the meaning of a word, while suffixes usually change form or function of a word (for example, turning a verb into a noun or adjective).

 

Classification of Prefixes and Suffixes

 

1. Classification of Prefixes

Prefixes are added before the root word. They usually change the meaning of the word.

(a) Negative Prefixes (give opposite meaning)

• Un → Unfair (not fair)

• In → Inactive (not active)

• Dis → Disagree (not agree)

• Mis → Misuse (use wrongly)

• Ir → Irregular (not regular)

(b) Time/Order Prefixes

• Pre → Preview (see before)

• Post→ Postgraduate (after graduation)

• Re → Rewrite (do again)

• Ex→ Ex-president (former president)

c) Number/Quantity Prefixes

• Uni → Uniform (one form)

• Ᏼi → Bicycle (two wheels)

• Tri → Triangle (three sides)

• Multi → Multinational (many nations)

d) Size/Position Prefixes

• Over→ Overconfident (too confident)

• Under → Underestimate (estimate too low)

• Super → Superstar (great star)

• Sub → Submarine (under water)

 

2. Classification of Suffixes

Suffixes are added after the root word. They usually change the word's form or function

(a) Noun-forming Suffixes

• Teach→ Teacher (-er)

• Kind → Kindness (-ness)

• Child → Childhood (-hood)

• Free → Freedom (-dom)

(b) Adjective-forming Suffixes

• Care → Careful (ful)

• Hope → Hopeless (less)

• Beauty → Beautiful (ful)

• Danger → Dangerous (us)

(c) Adverb-forming Suffixes

• Quick → Quickly (ly)

• Happy → Happily (ly)

• Safe → Safely (ly)

(d) Verb-forming Suffixes

• Modern → Modernize (ize)

• Strength → Strengthen (en)

• Class → Classify (ify)

 

Key Difference

Prefix = changes the meaning of a word. (Happy → Unhappy)

Suffix = changes the form or function of a word. (Teach → Teacher)

This structured view will help students recognize patterns, build strong vocabulary and  avoid confusion when they encounter new words.

 

 

Practice Exercises

 

I. Add the correct prefix to the given root word to form a meaningful word.

 

1. He was very _______ happy after losing the match.

2. Please _______ write the notes clearly.

3. It is wrong to _______ use public property.

4. The student gave an _______ correct answer.

5. Her explanation was totally _______ logical.

6. The machine became _______ active after the storm.

7. Don't _______ trust unknown people.

8. The train arrived _______ late.

9. He is a _______ national leader respected worldwide.

10. The path was _______ visible in the dark.

11. She joined a _______ graduate course in London.

12. They decided to _______ build the old house.

13. He was removed because of his ________ honest practices.

14. The signal was _______ regular and confusing.

15. The _______ cycle has two wheels.

16. She is a _______ reader who reads every night.

17. His ideas were _______ practical and useless.

18. The _______ president visited the college.

19. Let us _______ view the film before final release.

20. The _______ marine operates under water.

21. The accident happened because of his ______ care.

22. Do not _______ place your answer sheets.

23. We should never _______ estimate our opponents.

24. He is very _______ friendly to strangers.

25. His handwriting is _______ legible.

26. That was an _______ possible task.

27. She behaved in an _______ polite manner.

28. The patient was _______ conscious after surgery.

29. This is a _______ cultural program of our college.

30. He felt _______ secure walking alone at night.

31. It was an _______ fortunate event.

32. She remained _______ known to the new rules.

33. The story looks _______ real.

34. He remained _______ employed for two years.

35. This is a _______ functional phone.

36. It was a _______ natural response.

37. The workers tried to _______ cover the wall.

38. We must _______ play the match because of rain.

39. He gave a _______ mature comment.

40. His speech was totally _______ relevant to the topic.

41. This cloth is _______ washable.

42. That was an _______ avoidable mistake.

43. She became _______ dependent after graduation.

44. They lived in a _______ urban region.

45. His remarks were _______ necessary.

46. She was declared _______ qualified for the post.

47. He is a _______ hero remembered forever.

48. The exam was _______ announced yesterday.

49. They were asked to _______ arrange the chairs.

50. He gave an _______ fair judgment.

 

II. Add the correct suffix to the given root word to form a meaningful word.

 

1. She is a good teach _______.

2. Honesty is a great kind _______.

3. Every child enjoys his child _______.

4. Freedom is everyone's right _______.

5. He spoke in a care _______ manner.

6. This is a danger _______ road.

7. Lata is a very hope _______ person.

8. The workers tried to strength _______ the wall.

9. We must modern _______ our system.

10. The student answered the questions quick _______.

11. The government announced the develop _______ project.

12. His achieve _______ made his parents proud.

13. The new inven _______ changed the industry.

14. They showed great improve _______ in their work.

15. The judge gave a fair judg _______ at last.

16. He is a special _______ guest today.

17. We should respect our teach _______.

18. The manage _______ decided to close the company.

19. She is very care _______ while driving.

20. The book was full of interest _______.

21. A good leader inspires his follow ________.

22. She has a beautiful smile because of her cheer _______.

23. The player showed great perform _______.

24. He got the first posi _______ in the exam.

25. Our friendship turned into a long partner _________.

26. His speech gave a power _______ message.

27. This dress is colour _______.

28. A true friend shows loyal _______.

29. The boy acted foolish _______.

30. His polite _______ impressed everyone.

31. She became an art _______ by profession.

32. Please keep the room cleanli _______.

33. He worked tire _______ the whole day.

34. The soldiers showed their brave _______.

35. The new teacher improved our pronuncia _______.

36. Reading is a useful activi _______.

37. She gave a speech full of motiva _______.

38. He studies in a rented univerci _______.

39. We were impressed by his crea _______.

40. The police arrested the crim_ _______.

41. His explain _______ made the concept clear.

42. He won a gold meda _______.

43. The country enjoyed real independen _______.

44. His brother is a guitar _______ in a band.

45. I like the natural beau _______ of mountains.

46. They fought for equal _______.

47. A shopkeeper should maintain honest _______.

48. I prefer to drink fruit juic _______.

49. His argu _______ was strong.

50. The new machine increased our produc _______.

 

III. Identify and underline the prefix/suffix in each word.

 

1. Unhappy

2. Rebuild

3. Misuse

4. Disagree

5. Preview

6. Rewrite

7. Illegal

8. Irregular

9. Impolite

10. Incorrect

11. Impossible

12. Unkind

13. Dislike

14. Reappear

15. Mistake

16. Preschool

17. Unfair

18. Disconnect

19. Overcook

20. Underestimate

21. Submarine

22. Interact

23. Supermarket

24. Postgraduate

25. Overconfident

26. Reenter

27. Uncertain

28. Misbehave

29. Rewrite

30. Overweight

31. Careless

32. Beautiful

33. Childhood

34. Worker

35. Happiness

36. Darkness

37. Helpless

38. Improvement

39. Kindness

40. Movement

41. Playful

42. Friendliness

43. Wonderful

44. Thoughtless

45. Teacher

46. Reader

47. Weakness

48. Leadership

49. Development

50. Careful

 

IV. Add a suitable prefix or suffix to the given word to form a new word.

 

1. Use → _______ (prefix)

2. Kind → _______ (suffix)

3. Do → _______  (prefix)

4. Care → _______ (suffix)

5. Happy → _______ (prefix and suffix)

6. Friend → ______ (suffix)

7. Legal → _______ (prefix)

8. Govern → ____ (suffix)

9. Place → _______ (prefix)

10. Manage → _____ (suffix)

11. True → _______ (prefix)

12. Play → _______ (suffix)

13. Possible → _______ (prefix)

14. Hope → _______ (suffix)

15. Active → _______ (prefix)

16. Child → _______ (suffix)

17. Honest → _______ (prefix)

18. Brave → _______ (suffix)

19. Regular → _______ (prefix)

20. Help → _______ (suffix)

21. Correct → _______ (prefix)

22. Beauty → _______ (suffix)

23. Lucky → _______ (prefix)

24. Friend → _______ (suffix)

25. Comfort → _______ (prefix)

26. Create → _______ (suffix)

27. Happy → _______ (suffix)

28. Form → _______ (prefix)

29. Act → _______ (suffix)

30. Human → _______ (prefix)

31. Work → _______ (suffix)

32. Moral → _______ (prefix)

33. Care → _______ (prefix)

34. Move → _______ (suffix)

35. Respect → _______ (prefix)

36. Weak → _______ (suffix)

37. Polite → _______ (prefix)

38. Teach → _______ (suffix)

39. Secure → _______ (prefix)

40. Read → _______ (suffix)

41. Loyal → _______ (prefix)

42. Think → _______ (suffix)

43. Proper → _______ (prefix)

44. Pain → _______ (suffix)

45. Appear → _______ (prefix)

46. Rest → _______ (suffix)

47. Equal → _______ (prefix)

48. Write → _______ (suffix)

49. Comfort →_______ (suffix)

50. Nation →_______ (suffix)

 

V. Choose the correct prefix or suffix to complete the word.

 

1. The opposite of legal is ________.

(a) unlegal

(b) illegal

(c) mislegal

(d) dislegal

 

2. A person who teaches is a ________.

(a) teachness

(b) teachful

(c) teacher

(d) teachly

 

3. The opposite of honest is ________.

(a) dis-honest

(b) inhonest

(c) unhonest

(d) mis-honest

 

4. A child becomes an adult, but childhood remains his ________.

(a) childness

(b) childhood

(c) childful

(d) childly

 

5. The opposite of possible is ________.

(a) unpossible

(b) impossible

(c) dispossible

(d) mispossible

 

6. A person who reads is a ________.

(a) readness

(b) reader

(c) readful

(d) readly

 

7. The opposite of regular is ________.

(a) unregular

(b) irregular

(c) disregular

(d) misregular

 

8. The opposite of kind is  ________.

(a) kindless

(b) unkind

(c) diskind

(d) nonkind

 

9. A place where books are kept is a ________.

(a) library

(b) librarian

(c) librariness

(d) libraric

 

10. The opposite of polite is ________.

(a) mispolite

(b) unpolite

(c) impolite

(d) dispolite

 

11. A person who writes is a ________.

(a) writeness

(b) writer

(c) writely

(d) writeful

 

12. The opposite of correct is ________.

(a) incorrect

(b) uncorrect

(c) miscorrect

(d) dis-correct

 

13. The opposite of appear is ________.

(a) disappear

(b) unappear

(c) misappear

(d) disapparate

 

14. A person who speaks is a ________.

(a) speakful

(b) speaker

(c) speakness

(d) speakly

 

15. The opposite of happy is ________.

(a) un-happy

(b) mis-happy

(c) dis-happy

(d) inhappy

 

16. A person who teaches in a school is a ________.

(a) teacher

(b) teachness

(c) teachful

(d) teachman

 

17. The opposite of secure is ________.

(a) insecure

(b) unsecure

(c) dissecure

(d) nonsecure

 

18. A person who governs is a ________.

(a) governor

(b) governful

(c) governness

(d) governship

 

19. The opposite of loyal is ________.

(a) unloyal

(b) disloyal

(c) misloyal

(d) nonloyal

 

20. A person who acts is an ________.

(a) actor

(b) actful

(c) actly

(d) actness

 

21. The opposite of visible is  ________.

(a) unvisible

(b) invisible

(c) disvisible

(d) misvisible

 

22. A person who leads is a ________.

(a) leader

(b) leadness

(c) leadful

(d) leadly

 

23. The opposite of happy is ________.

(a) mis-happy

(b) unhappy

(c) dis-happy

(d) nonhappy

 

24. A person who reads and writes poems is a ________.

(a) poemful

(b) poet

(c) poeter

(d) poemness

 

25. The opposite of possible is ________.

(a) im-possible

(b) mispossible

(c) dispossible

(d) unpossible

 

26. A person who paints is a ________.

(a) paintness

(b) painter

(c) paintful

(d) paintly

 

27. The opposite of perfect is ________.

(a) unperfect

(b) imperfect

(c) disperfect

(d) misperfect

 

28. A person who creates is a ________.

(a) creator

(b) createness

(c) creatist

(d) creatorful

 

29. The opposite of moral is ________.

(a) immoral

(b) unmoral

(c) dismoral

(d) nonmoral

 

30. A person who drives is a ________.

(a) driver

(b) driveness

(c) driveful

(d) drivehood

 

31. The opposite of agree is ________.

(a) unagree

(b) disagree

(c) nonagree

(d) misagree

 

32. A person who plays is a ________.

(a) player

(b) playhood

(c) playness

(d) playly

 

33. The opposite of capable is ________.

(a) incapable

(b) uncapable

(c) miscapable

(d) discapable

 

34. A person who works is a ________.

(a) worker

(b) workness

(c) workhood

(d) workful

 

35. The opposite of logical is ________.

(a) unlogical

(b) illogical

(c) dislogical

(d) mislogical

 

36. A person who sings is a ________.

(a) singer

(b) songful

(c) singness

(d) singhood

 

37. The opposite of legal is ________.

(a) illegal

(b) unlegal

(c) dislegal

(d) mislegal

 

38. A person who teaches in college is a ________.

(a) professor

(b) profness

(c) profly

(d) profship

 

39. The opposite of active is  ________.

(a) inactive

(b) unactive

(c) misactive

(d) disactive

 

40. A person who learns is a ________.

(a) learner

(b) learnness

(c) learnhood

(d) learnful

 

41. The opposite of correct is ________.

(a) incorrect

(b) dis-correct

(c) uncorrect

(d) miscorrect

 

42. A person who governs a country is a ________.

(a) president

(b) governor

(c) governist

(d) governly

 

43. The opposite of responsible is  ________.

(a) irresponsible

(b) unresponsible

(c) misresponsible

(d) disresponsible

 

44. A person who farms is a ________.

(a) farmer

(b) farmhood

(c) farmness

(d) farmful

 

45. The opposite of possible ________.

(a) impossible

(b) unpossible

(c) mispossible

(d) dispossible

 

46. A person who writes books is an ________.

(a) author

(b) writer

(c) writehood

(d) writist

 

47. The opposite of visible is ________.

(a) invisible

(b) unvisible

(c) disvisible

(d) nonvisible

 

48. A person who rules is a ________.

(a) ruler

(b) rulehood

(c) ruleful

(d) ruly

 

49. The opposite of accurate is ________.

(a) inaccurate

(b) unaccurate

(c) misaccurate

(d) disaccurate

 

50. A person who thinks deeply is a ________.

(a) thinker

(b) thinkhood

(c) thinkness

(d) thinkful

 

VI. Complete the sentences by adding the correct prefix or suffix to the given word.

 

1. He is a very ______ (care) driver.

2. The boy was punished for being ______ (obedient).

3. We should try to ______ (courage) one another.

4. She is very ______ (help).

5. Honesty is a good ______ (qualify).

6. Ramesh is an ______ (act) student in the class.

7. The teacher asked him to net ______ (write) the sentence.

8. The king was known for his ______ (kind).

9. The magician made the rabbit ______ (appear).

10. He is very ______ (responsible) in his duties.

11. The soldiers fought with great ______ (brave).

12. The students must not be ______ (regular) in attendance.

13. We all enjoyed the ______ (happy) ending of the story.

14. A person without fear is ______ (fear).

15. The old man lived in complete ______ (lonely).

16. She is very ______ (beauty).

17. The thief was ______ (able) to escape.

18. Everyone admired his ______ (intelligent).

19. Smoking is ______ (harm).

20. The team was ______(success) in winning the match.

21. He is a ______ (read) of novels.

22. We should not be ______ (polite) to others.

23. The baby is so ______ (love).

24. India became an ______(depend) country in 1947.

25. The tiger is a very ______ (danger) animal.

26. The workers went on a ______(strike) for higher wages.

27. She is a very good ______ (dance).

28. Students should never be ______ (honest).

29. We must try to ______ (cover) our mistakes.

30. She is always ______ (happy) when she helps others.

31. Our teacher told us a very ______ (interest) story.

32. The boy is very ______ (active) in sports.

33. It is ______ (possible) to lift this heavy box.

34. The farmer is a very hard  ______ (work).

35. We should not be ______ (kind) to animals.

36. The garden looks very_________ (beauty) in spring.

37. His speech was full of ______ (inspire).

38. The man tried to ______ (connect) the wires.

39. We should ______(respect) our elders.

40. He was ______(hope) about his exam results.

41. The baby smiled ______(sweet).

42. The principal praised the ______(obey) students.

43. The patient is now ______(comfort).

44. A ______(nation) hero is respected by all.

45. The sky was full of ______ (star).

46. His story seemed ______ (real).

47. Students should always be ______  (punctual).

48. The box was ______ (lock).

49. The students listened ______ (attentive) to the lecture.

50. The young boy was very ______ (play).

 

VII Each sentence has an incorrect prefix or suffix. Identify and correct it.

 

1. He was very unpossible to convince. _______

2. The teacher gave us a homeworkless task. _______

3. The boy behaved very mispolite in class. _______

4. This pen is usefuless. _______

5. She is very beautifulness. _________

6. He was known for his honestful nature. _______

7. The old man felt lonelyful at night. _______

8. Our class is very disciplinéful. _______

9. We should never be unkindness to others. _______

10 This book is very interestful to read. _______

11. The movie was totally boreful. ______

12. He is a very successness person. _______

13. We must not be dishelpful to our friends. _______

14. The answer was incorrectness. _______

15. The sky looked very starness. _______

16. She is very playness with her toys. _______

17. This shop sells costlessful goods. _______

18. His ideas were completely logicness. _______

19. The speech was inspireness. _______

20. The students listened attentiveless. _______

21. We should not be impossibleless in life. _______

22. This road is usefulless for vehicles. _______

23. The tiger is a dangerlessful animal. _______

24. His story was realnessful. _______

25. The team played very successfullyness. _______

26. The magician made the rabbit disappearless._______

27. He was praised for his kindful act. _______

28. The man is hopelessful about his future. _______

29. She is a very talentness singer. _______

30. We must respect our elderful. ________

31. The patient is now comfortlessful. _______

32. Students should be punctualness. _______

33. She looked very angryful at him. _______

34. The food was tastefulnessless. _______

35. His work showed great intelligenceless. _______

36. The teacher was helpfuless to the weak students. _______

37. This cloth is very colourfulnessless. _______

38. He was joyness to see his parents. _______

39. The festival was celebrated with happyful. _______

40. This book is very educateness. _______

41. He was awarded for his bravenessless. _______

42. The student was very obedienceness. _______

43. The workers went on strikeless. _______

44. She was punished for her misbehavementless. _______

45. The farmer is a hard workingness man. _______

46. This chair is very comfortablenessless. _______

47. He spoke very angrinessfully. _______

48. His father is very carelessful in spending money. ______

49. We must avoid harmnessful things. _______

50. The teacher corrected the mistakelessness. _______