PREFIXES: CHANGING MEANING ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE

 

ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE UNIT 70 PREFIXES: CHANGING MEANING

 

A With adjectives Prefixes, e.g. un-, dis-, im-, can be added to some adjectives to give the opposite meaning. Dan used all the milk but said he didn’t; he’s very dishonest. I got eight answers right, but two were incorrect. It’s illegal in the UK to ride a motorbike without a helmet. B un- Of the prefixes above, un- is the most common, and appears in a number of adjectives. This chair is incredibly uncomfortable. It was unnecessary for them to wait for us. Xerxes – that’s a very unusual name. [different, not common or ordinary] I won the game; it was completely unexpected. [I didn’t think I was going to win] Marsha’s hat is unbelievable. [surprising because it is either very good or very bad] We tried to open the door, but we were unable to get in. [could not] I need to do more exercise; I’m very unfit. [not healthy and not in good condition] Declan played well, and I thought he was unlucky to lose. They’re unlikely to get here before midday. [They probably won’t get here before midday.] The test was unfair because some of the students had more time to do it than others. [If something is unfair, it does not treat people equally.] Language help   Adding a negative prefix does not usually change the pronunciation; the stress stays the same. She was un'lucky. It’s unbe'lievable. (NOT She was 'unlucky. It was 'unbelievable.) C With verbs With some verbs, these prefixes can have particular meanings.   dis- [the opposite of something] I disagree with the others. [don’t agree / have the same opinion] The plane appeared in the sky, then it disappeared behind a cloud. un- [the opposite of an action] I couldn’t unlock the door this morning. [open the door using a key; opp lock] We had to get undressed in the cold. [take off our clothes; opp get dressed] I unpacked the bags. [took everything out of the bags; opp pack] over- [too much] The bank overcharged me. [asked me to pay too much money] mis- [do something incorrectly] I misunderstood what he said; I’m afraid my English isn’t very good. I misheard her. I thought she said Rita, not Brita. re- [again] The teacher has asked me to rewrite my essay.   EXERCISES 70.1 Write the opposite. 1. ____un ___ happy 2. ____________ able 3. ____________correct 4. ____________usual 5. ____________possible 6. ____________comfortable 7. ____________agree 8. ____________necessary 9. ____________regular 10. ____________honest 11. ____________ fair 12. ____________lucky 70.2 Which sentence on the right logically follows each sentence on the left? 70.3 Complete the dialogues so that B agrees with A using different words. You only need one word for each gap. 1 A: Adera is a strange name. B: Yes, very _____unusual ______. 2 A: It’s against the law, isn’t it? B: Oh yes, it’s  ______________. 3 A: You mean he took off all his clothes! B: Yes, he got completely ______________. 4 A: He probably won’t get back in time for the meeting. B: I agree. It’s very ______________. 5 A: A lot of the answers were wrong. B: Yes, I’m afraid they were nearly all ______________. 6 A: He doesn’t look in very good condition; he’s a bit overweight. B: I know. He looks terribly ______________. 7 A: Nobody thought this would happen. B: Yes, it was completely ______________. 8 A: They never tell the truth. B: I know. They’re both ______________. 9 A: His business always seems to lose money, and it’s not his fault. B: I know. He’s very ______________. 10 A: Ann always gives more attention to Sarah than she does to Lucas. B: Yes, it’s very ______________on poor Lucas. 70.4 These words all appear in other units of the book. Do you know how to form the opposites?

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