English – Grammar: Prefixes and Suffixes Word Formation – 3rd Year Middle School – Algerian Curriculum

Prefixes and Suffixes: Word Formation

Understanding prefixes and suffixes helps you understand new words and expand your vocabulary.

Common Prefixes

• un- (not): happy → unhappy, fair → unfair
• re- (again): do → redo, write → rewrite
• pre- (before): view → preview, pay → prepay
• mis- (wrongly): understand → misunderstand
• dis- (opposite): agree → disagree, appear → disappear

Common Suffixes

• -er/-or (person who does): teach → teacher, act → actor
• -tion/-sion (action): educate → education, decide → decision
• -ful (full of): beauty → beautiful, hope → hopeful
• -less (without): care → careless, home → homeless
• -ly (adverb): quick → quickly, careful → carefully

Exercises

1. Form new words: possible + im- = ___ ; happy + un- = ___