Transcript learning prefixes, roots, and suffixes

Guide to College Reading, 8/e
Kathleen T. McWhorter
Chapter 3
Learning Word Parts
PowerPoint by Gretchen Starks-Martin
St. Cloud State University, MN
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
THIS CHAPTER WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO:
1.
2.
Figure out the meaning of
unfamiliar words
Use prefixes, roots, and suffixes
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FINDING MEANINGS IN
COMPOUND WORDS
A new word formed by two words that are
put together is called a compound word.





Waterproof
Horseshoe
Endpoint
Checklist
Outcome
water + proof
horse + shoe
end + point
check + list
out + come
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FINDING MEANINGS IN
COMPOUND WORDS
Some words appear frequently in
compound words. The word under,
for example, is common:
undertow
 underage
 underachiever
 undergo
 undercover

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LEARNING PREFIXES, ROOTS,
AND SUFFIXES

The word trichromatic can be divided into
three parts: its prefix, root, & suffix.
Prefix - tri - (“three”)
Root - chrome (“color”)
Suffix - atic (“characteristic of”)
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Words Can Have More Than One
Prefix, Root, or Suffix
Words can be made up of two or more
roots (geo/logy).
 Some words have two prefixes
(in/sub/ordination).
 Some words have two suffixes
(beauti/ful/ly).
 A word is built upon at least one root.

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Words Do Not Always Have a Prefix
and a Suffix
 Some
words have neither a prefix
nor a suffix (read).
 Others have a suffix but no prefix
(read/ing).
 Others have a prefix but no suffix
(pre/read).
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The Spelling of Roots May Change
As They Are Combined With Suffixes

Different prefixes, roots, or suffixes may
have the same meaning.


Ex: the prefix bi-, di-, and duo- all mean “two.”
Sometimes a group of letters looks like a
prefix or root, but it does not carry the
meaning of that prefix or root.

Ex: the prefix mis-, means “wrong;bad.” The
letters mis in the word missle do not mean
bad/wrong.
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Common
Prefixes are
in Table 3-1.

PREFIXES
Appear at the beginning of words and alter the
meaning of the root.
 Ex: add the prefix re- to the word “read”
reread (to read again).
 Ex: add the pre- to the word “reading” 
prereading (before reading).
 Ex.: add the suffix post- to the word
“reading”  postreading (after reading).
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Common
Roots are in
Table 3-2.
ROOTS
Roots carry the basic or core meaning of a
word.
 Root dic/dict = means “tell or say,” then
you know that:



Dictate = means to speak for someone to
write down.
Diction = means wording or manner of
speaking.
Dictionary = is a book that “tells” what words
mean.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Common
Suffixes are in
Table 3-3.
SUFFIXES
Suffixes are word endings that often
change the part of speech of a word:
 Adding the suffix y to the noun cloud
forms the adjective cloudy.
 Cloudy means “resembling clouds;
overcast with clouds; dimmed or dulled
as if by clouds.”
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Several Different Words Can Be Formed
From a Single Root Word by Adding
Different Suffixes

Examples:




Root: class
Root + suffix = class/ify, class/ification,
class/ic
Root: right
Root + suffix = right/ly, right/ful, right/ist,
right/eous
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Expand Your Vocabulary
Learn variations in meaning that occur
when suffixes are added to words you
already know.
 Look for the root of a word that you do
not know.
 Use context to figure out what the word
means with the suffix added.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
HOW TO USE WORD PARTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
First, look for the root.
If you don’t know the root, check its
meaning in the dictionary.
Look for a prefix.
Locate the suffix.
Try out the meaning in the sentence in
which the word was used to see if it
makes sense.
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LEARNING STYLE TIPS
 Social
Learner: Studying with a
group of classmates
 Independent Learner: Making up
review tests, or asking a friend to do
so, and practice taking the tests.
Are you a social learner
or an independent
learner?
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SELF-TEST SUMMARY
When you cannot figure out an unknown
word by using context clues, what should
you do?
 What are prefixes, roots, and suffixes?
 Why is it useful to learn prefixes, roots,
and suffixes?

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Companion Website
For additional readings, exercises, and
Internet activities, visit this book’s
Companion Website at:
www.ablongman.com/mcwhorter
If you need a user name and password, see
your instructor.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
My Reading Lab
For more practice on vocabulary, visit
MyReadingLab, click on the Reading
Skills tab, and then click on Vocabulary—
The Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
www.myreadinglab.com
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
TEST-TAKING TIPS:
Using Word Parts
Pronounce the word in question to
yourself. By saying the word, you may
hear a part (prefix, root, or suffix) that is
familiar.
 If you do not recognize the root of a word,
concentrate on the prefix. Often, knowing
the meaning of the prefix can help you
figure out the right answer.
 Pay attention to suffixes. They can also
help you figure out a word.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers