Negative and positive prefixes

Negative prefixes

prefix	meaning	example
un-	not	unmagnetized
in-		incomplete
im-		impossible
il-		illegal
ir-		irregular, irrelevant
non-	not connected with	non-programmable
mis-	bad, wrong	misdirect
mal-		malfunction
Dis-	opposite feeling	disagree
	opposite action	disconnect
anti-	against	antiglare
de-	reduce, reverse	demagnetize, decode
under-	too little	underestimate

Positive prefixes

prefix	meaning	example
re-	do again	reorganize
over-	too much	overloaded

2. Prefixes of size:

prefix	meaning	example
semi-	half, partly	semisphere
equi-	equal	equidistant
mini-	small	minicomputer
micro-	very small	microcomputer
macro-	large, great	macroeconomics
mega-		megabyte

3. Prefixes of location:

prefix	meaning	example
inter-	between, among	interface, interactive
super-	over	supersonic
trans-	across	transmit, transfer
ex-	out	exclude, extrinsic
extra-	beyond	extraordinary
sub-	under	subschema
infra-	below	infra-red
peri-	around	peripheral

4. Prefixes of time and order:

prefix	meaning	example
ante-	before	antecedent
pre-		prefix
prime-	first	primary, primitive
post-	after	postdated
retro-	backward	retroactive

5. Prefixes of numbers:

prefix	meaning	example
semi-	half	semicircle
mono-	one	monochromatic
bi-	two	binary
tri-	three	triangle
quad-	four	quadruple
penta-	five	pentagon
hex-	six	hexadecimal
sept(em)-	seven	September
oct-	eight	octal
dec-	ten	decimal
multi-	many	multiplexor

6. Other Prefixes:

prefix	meaning	example
Pro-	before, in advance	program,
	forward	progress
auto-	self	automatic
co-	together, with	co-ordinate
con-		connect

 

EXERCISE 1. Add the appropriate negative prefix dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, un-, de-  to the words below. Начало формы

1. She was __able to take the test because she was really sick.
2. I can't go out today. I just got back from vacation and I really need to __pack.
3. Oh, my goodness! This horrible heat is going to __hydrate the poor players.
4. Are you __sane? If you do this jump you're going to die.
5. So you are simply going to __regard everything I told you about him and just go on this date.
6. I find it highly __probable that he will come to your party. He doesn't like crowds.
7. The accident caused __reparable damage to his car.
8. The worst enemy in a relationship is __trust.
9. I'm absolutely sure it wasn't Kate. She's __capable of something like that.
10. I don't think the police will be able to __arm the drug dealers.
11. Oh, Mary, you're so __grateful! He's always done so much to help you.
12. It's extremely __likely I'll do well on this test. I didn't study a thing.
13. Her father __approved of her dating John. He thinks John is a bad influence.
14. I believe this information is __accurate. This cannot be true.
15. I don't understand anything he says; he's so __articulate.
16. This table is __steady. I believe one of the legs is crooked.
17. I'm not sure if it's __legal. Why don't you ask your lawyer friend?
18. I love Jane! She's so fun and __complicated.
19. Oh, come on. You must agree this is absolutely __moral.
20. When you're done using the computer make sure to __connect it.

EXERCISE 2. Fill in the gaps with the correct prefix from the following list.

auto	de	dec	inter	mono	semi
maxi	mega	micro	mini	multi	sub

1. Most people prefer a colour screen to a __chrome screen.

2. __script is a character or symbol written below and to the right of a number or letter, often used in science.

3. A __byte equals approximately one million bytes.

4. Once you finish your program, you will have to test it and __bug it to remove all the mistakes.

5. The introduction of __conductor technology revolutionized the computer industry.

6. If a computer system has two or more central processors which are under
common control, it is called a __processor system.

7. The __imal system is a number system with a base of 10.

8. When the user and the computer are in active communication on a graphics
system, we refer to this as __active graphics.

 

Word formation: Suffixes

Nouns	Verbs	Adjectives	Adverbs
-ance -ence -or/-er -ist -ness	-ize -ate -fy -en -ify	-able -ible -less -ic -ical -ish -ive	-ly

Noun-forming suffixes

suffix	meaning	example
-ance	state	performance
-ence	quality of	independence
-er / -or	a person who a thing which	programmer, operator, compiler, accumulator
-ist / -yst	a person who	analyst, typist
-ian	pertaining to	electrician
-tion / -ation	the act of	compilation
-ness	condition of	readiness
-ion	action/state	conversion
-ing	activity	multiplexing
-ment	state/action	measurement
-ity	state/quality	electricity
-ism	condition/state	magnetism
-dom	domain/condition	freedom
-ship	condition/state	relationship, partnership

 

Verb-forming suffixes

suffix	meaning	example
-ize/ -ise	to make	computerize
-ate		automate, activate, calculate
-ify		simplify
-en		harden, widen

Adverb-forming suffix

suffix	meaning	example
-ly	In the manner of	Electronically, logically, comparably

Adjective-forming suffixes

suffix	meaning	example
-al	having the quality of	computational, logical
-ar		circular
-ic		magnetic, automatic
-ical		electrical
-able	capable of being	comparable
-ible		divisible
-ous	like, full of	dangerous
-ful	characterized by	helpful
-less	without	careless
-ish	like	yellowish
-ed	having the quality of