Prefix and Suffix – English Grammar Tutorial

Prefix: A prefix is a morpheme added at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. It can change the word’s grammatical category or give it a new meaning.

Examples of Prefixes:

  1. Un- (Not):

    • Original: Happy
    • With Prefix: Unhappy
    • Meaning: Not happy
  2. Re- (Again):

    • Original: Do
    • With Prefix: Redo
    • Meaning: Do again
  3. Dis- (Opposite or Negation):

    • Original: Agree
    • With Prefix: Disagree
    • Meaning: Not agree

Suffix: A suffix is a morpheme added at the end of a word to alter its meaning or indicate its grammatical function.

Examples of Suffixes:

  1. -er (One who):

    • Original: Teach
    • With Suffix: Teacher
    • Meaning: One who teaches
  2. -ful (Full of):

    • Original: Joy
    • With Suffix: Joyful
    • Meaning: Full of joy
  3. -tion (Action or Process):

    • Original: Create
    • With Suffix: Creation
    • Meaning: The action or process of creating

Types of Prefixes:

  1. Negative Prefixes:

    • Examples: Un-, Dis-, In-
  2. Reversative Prefixes:

    • Examples: De-, Un-
  3. Temporal Prefixes:

    • Examples: Pre-, Post-
  4. Quantity and Size Prefixes:

    • Examples: Multi-, Micro-
  5. Location and Direction Prefixes:

    • Examples: Sub-, Trans-

Types of Suffixes:

  1. Noun Suffixes:

    • Examples: -ment (Movement), -ion (Connection)
  2. Verb Suffixes:

    • Examples: -ize (Harmonize), -ate (Educate)
  3. Adjective Suffixes:

    • Examples: -ful (Beautiful), -ous (Glorious)
  4. Adverb Suffixes:

    • Examples: -ly (Quickly), -ward (Upward)
  5. Diminutive Suffixes:

    • Examples: -let (Booklet), -ette (Kitchenette)

Prefix Examples:

  1. Anti- (Against):

    • Original: Social
    • With Prefix: Antisocial
    • Meaning: Against social norms

  2. Sub- (Under):

    • Original: Marine
    • With Prefix: Submarine
    • Meaning: Underwater vessel

  3. Bi- (Two):

    • Original: Cycle
    • With Prefix: Bicycle
    • Meaning: Two-wheeled vehicle

Suffix Examples:

  1. -ment (State or Quality):

    • Original: Govern
    • With Suffix: Government
    • Meaning: The state or quality of governing

  2. -er (Comparative):

    • Original: Tall
    • With Suffix: Taller
    • Meaning: More tall (comparative)
  3. -ish (Having the Quality of):

    • Original: Child
    • With Suffix: Childish
    • Meaning: Having the qualities of a child

Understanding prefixes and suffixes enhances vocabulary and aids in deciphering the meanings of unfamiliar words. These affixes contribute to word formation and play a vital role in linguistic expression.

1) Question: What does the prefix “un-” generally indicate?
A) Reversal
B) Negation
C) Quantity

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Answer: B) Negation
Explanation: The prefix “un-” is commonly used to indicate negation or the opposite of the base word.

2) Question: Which prefix is used to express the idea of doing something again?
A) Re-
B) Dis-
C) Sub-

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Answer: A) Re-
Explanation: The prefix “re-” is used to indicate repetition or doing something again.

3) Question: What is the meaning of the prefix “anti-“?
A) Before
B) Against
C) Two

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Answer: B) Against
Explanation: The prefix “anti-” is used to indicate opposition or being against something.

4) Question: Which suffix is commonly added to adjectives to form adverbs?
A) -er
B) -ful
C) -ly

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Answer: C) -ly
Explanation: The suffix “-ly” is added to adjectives to form adverbs.

5) Question: What does the suffix “-ment” typically indicate?
A) Comparative
B) State or Quality
C) Plural

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Answer: B) State or Quality
Explanation: The suffix “-ment” is used to indicate the state or quality of the base word.

6) Question: Which suffix is added to nouns to indicate a smaller version or a sense of endearment?
A) -ish
B) -er
C) -let

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Answer: C) -let
Explanation: The suffix “-let” is used to indicate a smaller version of the base noun.

7) Question: What is the prefix in the word “submarine”?
A) Sub-
B) Marine
C) -ine

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Answer: A) Sub-
Explanation: The prefix “sub-” means under, and it modifies the base word “marine.”

8) Question: In the word “happiness,” what does the suffix “-ness” indicate?
A) Plural
B) State or Quality
C) Comparative

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Answer: B) State or Quality
Explanation: The suffix “-ness” is used to indicate the state or quality of being happy.

9) Question: What is the meaning of the word “undo”?
A) To do again
B) To reverse
C) To compare

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Answer: B) To reverse
Explanation: The prefix “un-” in “undo” means to reverse an action.

10) Question: Which suffix is commonly added to verbs to form nouns?
A) -ful
B) -er
C) -tion

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Answer: C) -tion
Explanation: The suffix “-tion” is often added to verbs to form nouns denoting an action or process.

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