6

Module 5

ENGLISH
WORDS WITH AFFIXES - PREFIXES

A DepEd-BEAM Distance Learning Program supported by the Australian Agency for International Development

To the Learner
Dear Learner,
Good day learner? How are you today? In the previous module
youve learned about words. In this module you will learn how to
decode words with prefixes.

Lets Learn This

This module will help you form new words by adding the right or
appropriate prefixes. One way of expanding ones vocabulary is
through the use of prefixes.

Lets Try This

Below are the most common prefixes un-, in-, dis-, im-, and ir-,
and are often used to mean opposite of or not. Use these prefixes
to complete the thought of the second sentence by supplying the
correct word with the correct prefix. The italicized expressions are
clues.
1. The princess couldnt decide who to marry.

Shes still __________________________________.

2. The prince was not attentive to the princess.

The prince was ______________________________.

3. The curse was quite not possible to solve.

It seemed
________________________________.

4. The queen did not seem to agree with her daughters

plan. She wanted to _____________________ but could not

stop her.

5. The prince was not able to satisfy the second

witch. The second witch was _____________________.

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1 Are you done?

2 Are all of your answers like these?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

undecided
inattentive
impossible
disagree
unsatisfied

3 Dont worry, the preceding activity will help you understand

prefixes.

Lets Study This

Read the story. Answer the questions that follow.

It was Bennys twelfth birthday and the family

was preparing a big celebration for him. While waiting for
the guests to arrive, Benny went to the park to try out his
new bicycle. While there he met misfortune. Another
bicycle bumped him at the rear and Benny was thrown out
of his seat right into the path of a speeding tricycle.
Luckily the park administrator had taken precautions for
such incidents. An announcement was made through the
microphone and the first-aid attendants came to take him
to the first-aid station. We found him waiting for us at
the anteroom whiling away his time with the microscope.
Bennys injuries were not serious and the birthday
celebration did not have to

be postponed.

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1. Who was celebrating his twelfth birthday?

2. What happened to him when he tried out his new bicycle?
3. How did the park administrator take precautions for

such incidents?

Read the italicized words taken from the paragraph.

bicycle

tricycle

microphone

misfortune

precautions

anteroom

microscop
e

1 What

are placed before each

word? bi, mis, tri, pre, micro, ante

2 What does each syllable mean?

3 What do you call these syllables

Note further that these syllables come at the beginning of the

base word. You probably know by this time that these syllables are
prefixes. As you can see from the examples given, you can form new
words through the use of prefixes. You can also get the meaning of a
word when you know the meaning of the prefix and the base word is
familiar to you.
The most common prefixes un-, in-, dis-, im-, and ir- are often
used to mean opposite of or not.
Look at the examples.
impatient

discomfort

irresponsible

unlike

illogical

immature

illegal

disalign

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1.

Study the table below. It gives you examples of three of the

most affixe, number, quantity, and time.

Number

Quantity

Time

Prefix
mono
bi
tri
multi
poly
super
mega
macro
micro
mini
ante
pre
post
ex
retro

Meaning
one
two
three
many
many
great
huge
whole, big
tiny
small
before
before
after
former
back

Example
monograph
bipeds
triangle
multipurpose
polychrome
superstar
megamall
macroeconomics
microorganism
minigrocery
anteroom
prewar
posttest
ex-mayor
retroactive

Lets Do This
Prefix Meanings
1.

Directions: Match each word with its meaning. Write the number
of the word by its meaning.
1. increase

________ become larger

2. decrease

________ become smaller

3. indirect

________ direct again

4. redirect

________ not direct

5. inflate

_________ to let out air

6. deflate

_________ to blow air into

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2.

Directions: Use the words above to complete the sentences.

1. When I ______________________ the tire, it will be flat.
2. To make more soup, ______________________ the amount of water.
3. Nick took an ______________________ route to school.
4. If you are lost, a police officer can ______________________ you.
5. Here are twenty balloons to _______________________ for the

party.
6. The price of shirts will ______________________ during the big

sale.
1 Are you done?
2 Look at the Answer Key to check your answers.
3 Do not worry we will have more exercises to do.

Lets Do More
8.

incorrect
ashore
unclear
renew
prepay
imperfect
dislike
mistreat

1.

2.

5.
3.

4.

6.

7.

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Directions: Match the words in the word box with their definitions
below. Write them in the correct places in the puzzle.
AcrossDown
1. pay before

5. not like

2. treat wrongly

6. not perfect

3. not correct

7. make new again

4. not clear 8. on shore

Did you find it easy answering the puzzle?

Look at the Answer Key again to check your
answers.
Write your score inside the big flower.

Lets Remember This

1 A prefix is a syllable or syllables placed at

the beginning of a base word.

2 A base word is a word that can stand on its own. It

cannot be divided into smaller parts and still retain

its meaning.

3 The meaning of a word can be figured out by

putting together the meaning of its prefix and the

base word.

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Lets Test Ourselves

Missing Prefixes
Directions: Read the story. Use the prefixes in the word box to write
the prefixes.

un tele dis

re

mis

STAR TRIP
Mars sat in
front of his
big-screen

As usual, the Little Prince

vision. This life is very

then, he heard a knock

at the door, a
frown
messenger handed him on his
a
face

d. He
was
going
on a
trip to
4the

when he opened the

envelope, he was
surprised. The happy stars!
The
Little

Prince
was

packed his star travel

certain
bag until everything fit.
what to Someday he would
pack. He
dashed

3appeare

gram. There must be

sometake, said the
Little Prince. But

interesting,
he thought.
Just

for his

turn to his own

planet, but until
then, he was
ready for an

scope and
magic
10
crystal kit.
adventure in the stars.
He
packed
and

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1 Are you done? Look at the Answer Key again to check your

answers.
2 If your score is 8-10, Excellent, proceed directly to the next
module.
3 If your score is 6-7, Thats Good, answer Lets Enrich
Ourselves.
4

If your score is 5 and below, review the whole module.

Lets Enrich
Ourselves
Prefix Crossword
1.

5.

6.

7.
2.

3.

4.

8.

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A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word that

changes its meaning.
Directions: Match the words in the word box with their definitions
below. Write them in the correct places in the puzzle.
Across Down
1. not usual5. not making sense
2. fill again 6. not certain
3. middle of the night 7. count wrongly
4. set again8. take away frost

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Answer Key

Lets Do This
A
.
1. 1 become larger
2. 2 become smaller
3. 4 direct again
4. 3 not direct
5. 6 to let out air
6. 5 to blow air into
B
.
1. deflate
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

increase
indirect
redirect
inflate
decrease

Lets Enrich Ourselves

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

unusual
refill
midnight
reset
nonsense
uncertain
miscount
defrost

Lets Do More
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

prepay
mistreat
incorrect
unclear
dislike
imperfect
renew

8. ashore
Lets Test
Ourselves
1. tele
2. un
3. tele
4. mis
5. un
6. dis
7. un
8. tele
9. re
10. re

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