MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 1, Lesson 2
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Focus of the lesson: inflections (see definition below)
Vocabulary you need to know:
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Morpheme – the smallest unit of meaning. A word can contain more than
one morpheme. For example, disable consists of two morphemes – the
prefix dis- + able.
Affix – A morpheme (generally a prefix or suffix) added to a word to change
its function or meaning (example: the prefix un- is an affix that changes a
word from positive to negative – e.g., pleasant becomes unpleasant)
Prefix – a group of letters that can be placed before a word to change its
meaning (example: im- added to possible = im-possible)
Root – the form of a word after all affixes are removed. It is the basic
element of the word and the foundation on which the meaning of the word is
built.
Suffix – a group of letters placed after a word to modify its meaning or
change it into a different word group (for example, from an adjective, rapid,
to an adverb, rapid-ly)
Inflection – a system in which words’ forms are altered by an affix. For
example, the majority of nouns in English can be altered from singular to
plural by the addition of an –s (car/cars, building/buildings). The verb
proceed can become a noun—processional. The noun joy can become an
adjective—joyous.
Read the article found at the following website for an overview of ways
that knowledge of the elements defined above can help you to determine
the meaning of unfamiliar words. Please don’t be offended by the title of
the website!
Dummies::Tending to Word Roots
The following websites contain alphabetized lists of the most common. . .
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Prefixes Greek and Latin Prefixes Table
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Roots
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Suffixes Greek and Latin Roots and Affixes: Suffixes
Greek and Latin Roots: Roots
You may use the information at these sites to help you complete the
activities on the following pages.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 1, Lesson 2
ACTIVITY 1-2-1
MORPHEMES ACTIVITY
Directions: Use the following 45 morphemes to create at least 10 words
related to language and vocabulary. No morpheme is used more than
once, unless it is included more than once on the list.
EXAMPLE:
Mophemes:
acro (high or height)
geo (earth)
graph (write or written)
ic (like or similar to)
phob (fear/fearful)
y (tending to)
Words that can be assembled from the morphemes:
acrophobia (fear of heights), geography (something written about the
earth), graphic (like writing)
Remember, you can use the lists of roots, prefixes, and suffixes at the links
already mentioned to look up the definition of any morpheme.
MORPHEMES
alpha
ant
ar
ate
ation
ary
bet
bul
cod
cogn
com
con
de
di
duce
eme
etymo
extra
gener
hens
ic
ing
intro
ion
ity
ive
ize
ize
lab
logy
morph
multi
non
onym
para
phrase
pol
pol
pre
re
rect
s
syl
text
voca
WORDS YOU CREATED FROM THE MORPHEMES
1
6
2
7
3
8
4
9
5
10
16 words can actually be created from the morphemes listed above!
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MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 1, Lesson 2
ACTIVITY 1-2-2
WORD FAMILY ACTIVITY
Below is a word family for the root onym (name or word):
antonym
word meaning the opposite
synonym
anonymous
word meaning the same thing
not having a name
pseudonym
synonymous
false name
meaning the same as
homonym
a word with the same sound
eponym
anonymity
word derived from that of a person or place
namelessness
ONYM
DIRECTIONS: Use one of the following roots to complete a word
family in the blank graphic provided.
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CHRON (time)
CIDE (kill, cut down)
NEO (new)
PATER (father)
PATH/PATHY (feeling, suffering)
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 1, Lesson 2
WORD FAMILY
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