Word Formation- Prefixes

Prefixes that form NOUNS

 Prefixes that form ADJECTIVES

• Meaning

• What type of base they attach to

• Examples

• Followed by exercises (with variety)

PART I – PREFIXES FORMING NOUNS

1. anti–

Meaning: against
Added to: nouns

war → antiwar
social → antisocial (adj)
hero → antihero (noun)

2. pro–

Meaning: in favour of
government → progovernment
democracy → prodemocracy

3. ex–

Meaning: former
president → ex-president
minister → ex-minister

4. co–

Meaning: joint / together
operate → cooperate
author → co-author

5. vice–

Meaning: deputy
president → vice-president

6. sub–

Meaning: under
committee → subcommittee
marine → submarine

7. super–

Meaning: above
power → superpower
human → superhuman

8. inter–

Meaning: between
national → international
state → interstate

9. intra–

Meaning: within
state → intrastate
college → intracollege

10. mono–

Meaning: one
theism → monotheism
rail → monorail

11. bi–

Meaning: two
cycle → bicycle
lingual → bilingual

12. tri–

Meaning: three
angle → triangle
cycle → tricycle

PART II – PREFIXES FORMING ADJECTIVES

1. un–

Meaning: not
happy → unhappy
fair → unfair

2. in– / im– / il– / ir–

Meaning: not

active → inactive
possible → impossible
legal → illegal
regular → irregular

3. non–

Meaning: not
nonviolent
nonacademic

4. a–

Meaning: without
moral → amoral
political → apolitical

5. dis–

Meaning: not / opposite
honest → dishonest
loyal → disloyal

6. over–

Meaning: too much
overconfident
overactive

7. under–

Meaning: too little
underdeveloped
underpaid

8. pre–

Meaning: before
prehistoric
preplanned

9. post–

Meaning: after
postwar
postmodern

10. trans–

Meaning: across
transnational
transcontinental

SECTION A – Making Nouns

Instruction: Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct prefixed noun from the options given in brackets.

1. He is the _______ president of the company.
   (ex-president / pre-president / post-president)

2. They formed a _______ committee for finance.
   (subcommittee / supercommittee / recommittee)

3. The country became a global _______.
   (superpower / subpower / overpower)

4. She is a well-known _______.
   (coauthor / reauthor / un-author)

5. The two nations signed an _______ state agreement.
   (interstate / intrastate / monostate)

6. It is an _______ college competition.
   (intracollege / intercollege / overcollege)

7. He is a strong _______ democracy supporter.
   (prodemocracy / antidemo-cracy / subdemocracy)

8. The story has an unusual _______.
   (antihero / subhero / overhero)

9. The company runs a _______ national business.
   (multinational / mononational / subnational)

10. The bike is actually a _______.
    (bicycle / tricycle / unicycle)

11. The railway project is a _______ system.
    (monorail / multirail / intrarail)

12. It is a belief in one God – _______.
    (monotheism / polytheism / antitheism)

13. He bought a _______ dictionary.
    (bilingual / monolingual / trilanguage)

14. The firm appointed a _______.
    (vice-president / sub-president / post-president)

15. The discussion was about _______ war policy.
    (antiwar / prowar / postwar)

16. It is an agreement within the state – _______.
    (intrastate / interstate / superstate)

17. The army created a _______ division.
    (submarine / supermarine / antimarin)

18. She is the _______ minister of the state.
    (ex-minister / pre-minister / antimister)

19. The company supports _______ ideas.
    (progovernment / antigovernment / nongovernment)

20. It is a shape with three sides – _______.
    (triangle / tricycle / triform)

SECTION B – Making Adjectives

Instruction: Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct prefixed adjective from the options given in brackets.

1. He is _______ happy with the result.
   (unhappy / nonhappy / imhappy)

2. The act was _______.
   (illegal / unlegal / nonlegal)

3. She is an _______ moral person.
   (immoral / amoral / nonmoral)

4. The student is _______ responsible.
   (irresponsible / unresponsible / nonresponsible)

5. It was an _______ possible task.
   (impossible / inpossible / unpossible)

6. The country is _______ dependent.
   (independent / nondependent / unde-pendent)

7. The child is _______ obedient.
   (disobedient / unobedient / nonobedient)

8. He made an _______ regular pattern.
   (irregular / unregular / nonregular)

9. It was a _______ planned event.
   (preplanned / replanned / overplanned)

10. She is a _______ national writer.
    (international / intranational / nonnational)

11. The workers are _______.
    (underpaid / superpaid / overlowpaid)

12. The patient is _______.
    (unconscious / nonconscious / imconscious)

13. He is an _______ social person.
    (antisocial / unsocial / nonsocial)

14. The answer was _______.
    (incorrect / uncorrect / noncorrect)

15. The plan was _______.
    (impractical / unpractical / nonpractical)

16. He is an _______ religious thinker.
    (irreligious / unreligious / nonreligious)

17. The act was _______.
    (disloyal / unloyal / nonloyal)

18. The building is _______.
    (postmodern / unmodern / nonmodern)

19. It was an _______ developed village.
    (underdeveloped / nondeveloped / imdeveloped)

20. The treaty was _______.
    (international / intranational / nonnational)

SECTION C – Multiple Choice

1. He is an _______ honest man.
   (un- / dis- / im-)

2. It was an _______ regular pattern.
   (in- / im- / ir-)

3. She is a _______ moral character.
   (a- / non- / dis-)

4. He is the _______ president.
   (ex- / pre- / post-)

5. They formed a _______ committee.
   (sub- / super- / re-)

6. It is an _______ national agreement.
   (inter- / intra- / mono-)

7. The workers are _______ paid.
   (over- / under- / super-)

8. He is a _______ social activist.
   (anti- / pro- / co-)

9. She is _______ satisfied.
   (un- / im- / dis-)

10. It is a _______ historic building.
    (pre- / post- / anti-)