ASLI BAŞDOĞAN
LSA I
Systems Assignment: Lexis
Part I: Background
Assignment:
Prefixation
Word Count: 2,483
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 4
1.0 Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………. 4
1.1 Form
1.1a Class-changing prefixes
1.1b Class-maintaining prefixes
1.2 Meaning
1.2.1.a Negative Prefixes
1.2.1.b Locational Prefixes
1.2.1.c Temporal and Aspectual Prefixes
1.2.1.d Quantitative Prefixes
1.2.2.a Productive Prefixes
1.2.2.b Non- Productive Prefixes
1.3 Phonology
1.3.1 Assimilation process
1.3.2 Stress
2.0 Issues ……………………………………………………………………………………… 7
2.1 Choosing the right prefix
2.1a Knowing which prefixes are productive
2.1b Spelling incorrectly
2.1c Prefixes adding no meaning
2.2 Pronunciation
2.3 Differences between the morphological structures of L1 and L2
2.4 Remembering
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3.0 Suggestions for Teaching ………………………………………………………… 9
3.1 Approaches
3.1a Rule Based Approach
3.1b Item Learning
3.2 Activities
3.2a Awareness Raising Activities
3.2b Recycling Activities
3.2c Productive Activities
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Bibliography ……………………………………………………................................13
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Introduction
English vocabulary is huge and it continues to grow steadily with technological and cultural
assimilation. Affixation is one way of forming new words from old ones. I have chosen this
focus because I strongly believe that learning affixation in a systematised way will be of great
value to language learners. I, myself as a learner, benefited a great deal from learning about
affixes. It not only added to my receptive knowledge but also to my productive knowledge in
the long run. Knowledge of affixation is important for ESL/ EFL learners for two reasons: It
can help them learn new words by relating them to the previously known word, and check
understanding of an unfamiliar word in a context, especially in an exam where they are not
allowed to use dictionaries.
1.0 Analysis
1.1 Form
When we classify prefixes according to their form, we can divide them into two groups, in
terms of changing the form class of the base to which they are added or not: “class-changing
prefixes and class-maintaining prefixes”( Bauer 1983)
1.1a Class-changing prefixes
If students are familiar with the class-changing prefixes, which are just a few in number, they
will be more efficient in identifying unknown words in different texts and choosing the
correct answer in multiple choice gap fill exercises.
Here are a few examples:
a- This prefix forms adjectives from nouns/verbs e.g. asleep
be- This prefix forms transitive verbs from adjectives/verbs/nouns e.g. befriend
en- This prefix forms transitive verbs mainly from nouns e.g. enjoy
1.1b Class-maintaining prefixes
The vast majority of the prefixes in English are class-maintaining.
Here are a few examples:
mini- It is used exclusively with a noun base e.g. minivan (n)
extra- It is used exclusively with an adjective base. e.g extrasensory (adj)
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dis- It is used with verbs, nouns, adjectives e.g. disinfect (v) , disinformation (n)
1.2 Meaning
It is difficult to classify prefixes according to their meaning as there are many prefixes and
numerous prefixes do not fit any of the groups. However, even knowing just the most
popular ones will help learners decode unknown words. Below is a classification according to
the meaning of prefixes mentioned in their book Handbook of Word Formation by Pavol
Štekauer and Rochelle Lieber (2005)
1.2.1.a Negative Prefixes
Negative prefixes carry a negative meaning 'not', 'opposite of'.
e.g.un-, in-, non-, de-, disdisloyal,
unhappy
non-smoker
The negative prefixes (dis-), (un-), (in-,im-,il-,-ir) are among the four most frequent prefixes
that account for 97 percent of prefixed words in printed school English . (Honig, Diamond,
Gutlohn 2000)
1.2.1.b Locational Prefixes
Locational prefixes exhibit meanings that generally parallel those of their prepositional
counterpart.
e.g. over-, under-, out-, back-, down-, up-, off-, on- , fore-, inter-, sub-, supra-, transinternational
transpolar
1.2.1.c Temporal and Aspectual Prefixes
These prefixes add a temporal meaning to their bases.
e.g. pre-, post-, retro-, exprehistoric
ex-president
1.2.1.d Quantitative Prefixes
These prefixes exhibit quantity of their bases.
e.g. bi-, di-, demi-, multi-, poly-, semibipolar
multinational
Another important classification feature is productivity.
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1.2.2.a Productive Prefixes
Productive prefixes contribute to the meaning of a word and can be added to nouns,
adjectives, adverbs and verbs. Prefixes are those additions that usually do not change the
spelling of the word. The prefix is attached to the word despite any consonant duplications,
accents, or syllabication.
e.g dis- disinfect, discomfort
re- rearrange, reformulate, recycle
un- unkind, unable, unclear
1.2.2.b Non- Productive Prefixes
Non-productive prefixes occur in a word but they do not contribute to its meaning.
dis- disaster
re- repel
1.3 Phonology
1.3.1 Assimilation process
The choice of negative prefixes can be explained with the phonological process assimilation.
Assimilation occurs when the final sound of the prefix matches or comes close to matching
the initial sound of the root word in place of articulation .

The n - sound from the in- prefix is produced with the tongue close to or touching the
ridge behind the teeth on the roof of the mouth, thus it is called an alveolar
consonant. This place of articulation is centrally located and can easily adapt to many
other sounds and so it is the most common of these four negative prefixes. e.g.
inaccurate, incredible
 The im- prefix is used with words that start with a "p - sound" or a "b - sound"
because these consonants are articulated with both lips just like the "m- sound." e.g.
impatient, immature
 The "l - sound" and "r - sound" are both liquids. (V. Fromkin, R. Rodman & N.
Hyamans 2006) Words which start with the "l - sound" use the il- negative prefix and
words that start with an "r - sound" use the ir- negative prefix. e.g. irregular, illegal
1.3.2 Stress
Prefixes are not usually stressed in English. Kentworthy, in her book Teaching English
Pronunciation (1987:63) states the rule: “In words with prefixes such as be-, in-, dis-, ex- ,ex-,
un- ,etc., the stress is almost always on the second or third syllable.
e.g. exhaust (v)
distrust (n)
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unbelievable (adj)
Only in very short words, with only short syllables following the prefix, would the prefix take
on main stress.
e.g.
prejudice
2.0 Issues
2.1 Choosing the right prefix
The most common problem my students experience is to decide which prefix to use.
2.1a Knowing which prefixes are productive
In some of my previous advanced level classes, I noticed that some of my students tried to
create their own words adding some prefixes they know to some roots. I have to admit that
some were really successful; however, some really sounded weird. Therefore, I thought if I
help my learners through this process, they may be more efficient users of prefixes and of
course lexis. When they know, for example, the above mentioned prefix mini- is still
productive, they can add it to some nouns. Likewise, if they know that be- is no longer
productive, they may stop inventing new words with it.
2.1b Spelling incorrectly
Hyphenation can create confusion among learners even at advanced levels.
When adding a prefix, the base word should always be spelled the same. If the prefix ends
with the same letter as the first letter of the base word, we should keep the double letter.
However, some of my students - even high level ones – omit that letter. (*mispelled)
2.1c Prefixes adding no meaning
Some prefixes do not add meaning to the base they are attached to. For example, invaluable
is not the opposite of valuable and does not mean having no value or worthless. And there is
another pair: flammable and inflammable. They mean exactly the same, e.g. describing a
material that burns easily. The meanings of these words can cause confusion and be
misleading.
I do not think it is necessary to teach them before the learner sees them in a context.
However, some multiple choice English exams in Turkey like YDS (University Entrance Exam
English Part), KPDS (English Exam for Civil Servants) use these special adjectives as
distracters. Therefore, in an exam preparation class it is better to introduce them earlier in
the syllabus.
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2.2 Pronunciation
Most of the pronunciation problems concerning prefixes are related to word stress.
Especially if they are newly introduced, learners tend to stress them. In many words with a
prefix, there is secondary stress in the prefix, with main stress later in the word. (e.g.
disa’GREE)
When these words are used in conversation, they can have stress shift, with the prefix made
prominent. (e.g. He DISagreed strongly) (Hewings 2007) Some of my learners disregard this
rule and do not stress the prefix in conversation. This makes them sound unnatural.
2.3 Differences between the morphological structures of L1 and L2
As Turkish is an agglutinative language, it frequently uses affixes and specifically suffixes, or
endings. (yat- + -ýr + -ým + -cý : depositor, investor ) However, English is an example of a
fusional language (also called an inflecting language). Its different morphological system
causes difficulty for Turkish learners. As they are not used to forming and producing prefixed
words, they tend not to use them at all but use suffixes. e.g. instead of uninterested, some
say *interestless
2.4 Remembering
Remembering words is always a challenge for a language learner. It has been estimated that
up to 80 per cent of material is lost within 24 hours of initial learning. (Thornbury 2002)
Insufficient recycling, overload, complexity of the material are all reasons why we forget.
3.0 Suggestion for Teaching
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Affixation, along with all the other word formation process has always been a problem for
learners. There are two approaches to be adopted: “rule-based approach” and “item
learning approach”(Thornbury 2002)
3.1 Approaches
3.1a Rule Based Approach
In a rule based approach, we teach the rules explicitly. For example, if we are dealing with
negative prefixes, we can state the rule and then give them some roots to add the correct
negative prefix.
3.1b Item Learning
In this approach, the key point is learning the prefixed words as individual, simple words.
This requires plenty of exposure rather than explicit rules. It takes more time for the learner
to internalise the complex word and start producing similar ones: however, we can speed up
the process by adding some consciousness raising activities to our syllabus. Thus, we can
help them notice the patterns and rules.
3.2 Activities
3.2a Awareness Raising Activities
Prefix Analysis
Aim
The students will gain the ability to analyse and breakdown unknown vocabulary words
using clues provided by prefixes and they will expand their own vocabulary by using prefix
awareness as a tool.
Procedure
The students will work in groups of four. Each group will be given a text rich in prefixes. They
will try to guess the meaning of the prefixed words and then look them up in dictionaries.
The students will write down the definitions to each prefix. After all of the students have a
complete list of prefixes and definitions, the students will be given another group’s list and
try to find the defined prefix.
Commentary
For low levels, you can stop the activity just after dictionary work as an awareness- raising
activity
An alternative approach might be to ask learners to find examples of prefixes by setting
them clearly focused tasks. For example: Find a prefix that means 'across' (trans-). Find a
prefix which means 'against' (anti-) Find two prefixes that go with cover and explain their
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meaning (dis-, -un). The next stage is for learners to find (or think of) more examples of the
major kinds of prefixes represented.
3.2b Recycling Activities
Prefix Match-Up
Aim To revise different prefixes
Procedure
Students will each receive a card containing either a prefix or a root word. During this
activity, students must find the mate to their card, pair up with that person, and agree upon
a sentence that will demonstrate their knowledge of the word's meaning.
(www.readwritethink.org/resources/resource-print.html?id=399)
Commentary
This will be especially good for kinaesthetic students as it gives them a chance to move
around the class. It can be used for all levels. The teacher can change the prefixes according
to the level of his/her students.
Prefix Bingo
Aim
To recycle prefixes
Procedure
Students can play this game in small groups, or you can stage a bingo blow out for the entire
class. To prepare, provide students with blank, nine-square bingo game boards. Next, write
some prefixes on index cards and place these in a paper bag. On the board, write out a
variety of base or root words, including adjectives (angry, sad, glad), verbs (help, create,
lead) and nouns (friend, beauty, care). Next, ask students to choose any of the words and
write one in each square of their bingo boards. To play, have a volunteer “caller” pick a
random card from the bag and read it aloud. Students look at their boards and try to make a
new word by adding the prefix to one of their base words and writing it below. Remind
students to include any necessary spelling changes (they can use a dictionary for reference).
The game continues until one student has a full board of new words and shouts “Bingo!” The
class can work together to check the player's words and spelling.
(teacher.scholastic.com/products/.../mar05_prefixessuffixes.htm)
Commentary
You can also adapt this activity according to different levels by varying the root words and
prefixes.
Running Dictation
Aim: To deal with spelling problems.
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Procedure: We can make use of dictation activities. Especially, running dictation is a great
choice to wake up a tired class. There can be a runner and a writer in each pair. The runner
tries to dictate the words written on a piece of paper on the wall to his/her pair. Whoever
finishes first with the most accurate spelling is the winner.
Commentary : This activity is applicable to all levels. It it will shift their awareness to correct
spelling.
3.2c Productive Activities
Rewrite with prefixes
Aim
Help students understand the meaning and function of the prefixes re-, non-,
mis-, and preProcedure
Distribute copies of the Prefix Practice activity sheet which consists of sentences to be
paraphrased by some prefixes.
Read the first sentence with students. (“Becky did not understand Bill’s
question correctly.”) Then have students rewrite the sentence using the mis- prefix.
(“Becky misunderstood Bill’s question.”)
Commentary
These types of rewrite exercises are more suitable for intermediate and above, and
especially useful for FCE practice.
Word Construction
Aim
To construct a new word by adding the prefix re-, non-, mis-, or pre – to the base word.
Procedure
Ask students to write a short story using five re-, non-, mis-, or pre- words.
If necessary, brainstorm a list of such words with students, or have them look through a
dictionary to find examples.
Commentary
It’s an activity which requires cognitive study. It also creates a context for the learner. These
features make it more memorable. We can select a group of the most productive prefixes
and encourage learners to create new words. Some will be already existing words and some
will be non-established words but a McCarthy (1994:5) says “We can also look at word
formation as a resource in the language, something the learner should be able to experiment
with and use strategically.”
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Conclusion:
If we can give students some rules to stick to by “rule based approach” and also make sure
they have multiple exposure to the relevant prefixes by “item teaching” (Thornbury 2002)
we can help them understand more of a reading text. I am especially interested in teaching
prefixes first. To my mind, learning the most frequently used prefixes will gradually lessen
the vocabulary load of many learners. A study of White, Power, White’s (1989) [as cited in
Nation (2001) ]on four prefixes un- re- in-dis-] showed that 60% of the words with these four
most common prefixes can be understood if you just know the meaning of the root. This is
really an enormous number and it is worth working on how to teach them more effectively.
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Bibliography
Nation, S. P. (2001) Learning Vocabulary in Another Language, CUP
Bauer, L. (1983) English Word Formation, CUP
Thornbury,S. (2002) How to Teach Vocabulary, Longman
Štekauer, P., Lieber, R. (2005) Handbook of Word Formation, Springer
Kenworthy, J. (1987) Teaching English Pronunciation, Longman
Hornby, A.S. (2006) Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary New 7th Edition, OUP
McCarthy, M. (1994) Vocabulary, OUP
Honig, B., Diamond,L., Gutlohn, L. (2000) Teaching Reading Sourcebook: For Kindergarten
Through Eighth Grad, CORE.
Fromkin, V., Romdan, R. & Hyamans, N. (2006) An Introduction to Language, Heinle
Hewings, M. (2007) English Pronunciation in Use Advanced Book, CUP
Some Activities:
teacher.scholastic.com/products/.../mar05_prefixessuffixes.htm
www.readwritethink.org/resources/resource-print.html?id=399
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