Word Formation -8-
Learning the use and meaning of words in English can be made
easier, and even enjoyable, if you understand something about one
way in which many English words are formed.
The stem of a word is its basic form, the fundamental element
which is common to all the other forms of the word. A prefix is a
form which is fixed to the beginning of a stem; a suffix is a form
which is fixed to the end of a stem. For example:
Word Formation
stem = measure suffix =
measurable prefix =
immeasurable
A prefix usually changes the meaning of a word, while a suffix
usually changes its part of speech, For example, the suffix -able
changes verbs into adjectives (breakable, enjoyable). The prefix
im- changes the meaning to the opposite: measurable means
"capable of being measured"; immeasurable means "not capable of
being measured."
The English language makes frequent use of this method of
word formation. Notice the numerous words formed on the stem,
act.
prefix + act
react
enact
reenact
interact
transact
activity
activate
activation
actor
actress
act + suffix
action
active
actively
actionless
actable
prefix + act + suffix
reaction
enactment
reenactment
reactor reactive
reactivate
reactivation
interaction
transaction
inactive inaction
By learning only a few prefixes an d suffixes, you will be able to recognize or guess the meaning of
hundreds of English words.
Word Formation Exercises
Exercise 1. In the chart below, some of the most common prefixes are listed
alphabetically. The meaning of each prefix is given as an
area of meaning because most often there is no one single
specific meaning. In the right-hand column, space has been
left for you to record examples of words which use the prefix.
Your dictionary will provide examples. Choose those which are
familiar or potentially useful to you.
Prefix
Examples
Area of meaning
ante-
before
anti-
against, opposite
auto-
self
bi
two, twice
circum-
around
con-, co-col-,
com-
with, together
de-
down, reversing
ex-, e-
out, from
in-
in
inter-
between, among
macro-
large
micro-
small
mis-
wrong, unfavorable
mono-
one, alone
post-
behind, after
pre-, prim-
first
Using an English Dictionary
Prefix
Area of meaning
pro-
for, before
re-
again
sub-, sup-
under
trans-
across
tri-
three
uni-
one
un-, ir-, in-
not
^Ultra
beyond, excessive
Examples
Exercise -2. In the chart below, some of the most common suffixes are listed
alphabetically. The meaning of each suffix is given as an
area of meaning because most often there is no one single
specific meaning. In the right-hand column, space has been
left for you to record examples of words which use the
suffix. Your dictionary will provide examples. Choose those
which are familiar or potentially useful to you.
Suffix
Area of meaning
-able,
- ible
capable of being
-ance ; ence
state, condition, or
quality
-ation -tion condition, or the act of
•dom
state, condition, dignity,
office
•ee
the object or receiver of
action
Examples
**¥
Changing Parts of Speech
Prefix
Area of meaning
-en
pertaining to, of the
nature of
-er
the one who . . .
-ful
full of, or characterized
by
-ic, -ical
pertaining to
-ious
full of, of the nature of
Examples
-OUS
to make like or affect
with
-ize
-ish
to form adjectives from
nouns; belonging to, like
•ism •1st
action or practice, state
or condition
•less
without, loose from
1
^ 3" " V ' . *
-ly
£/ r<|lt
like
state, condition, quality
-ness
-ship
condition, skill,
character, office
Changing Parts of
Speech
In the preceding exercise you have learned a number of the most common suffixes in
English. Notice that a suffix usually changes a word from one part of speech to another.
You can frequently tell the part of speech by its form, in contrast to another form of the
same word. For example, imagine (verb), imagination (noun), imaginative (adjective),
and imaginatively (adverb). We do not have to know the meaning of this word in order to
recognize these parts of speech. In the nonsense
sentence, Tashism vipped prodoption bortly, we can be fairly sure what part of speech each
word is. We do not know this because the nouns are names of persons, places, or things, or
because the verb describes an action or state of being. We have no idea of the meaning of
these words. But we do recognize characteristic forms: -ism and -tion as noun endings, -ed as
a verb ending, -ly as an adverb ending.
You can improve your vocabulary by learning some of these common
suffixes and how they change words from one part of speech to another.
Parts of Speech Exercises
Exercise 3. Making verbs into nouns. Here are some common suffixes that change verbs
into nouns. Fill in the blanks. Check your dictionary if you are not sure
of the spelling.
-al
to refuse
to arrive to deny the arrival the denial
to dismiss
to propose
to approve
-ure
to depart to fail the departure the failure
to erase
to enclose
to press
to legislate
'
-y
tr» i n q u i r e
to deliver to arm the delivery the army
to flatter
to discover _________
to recover ___________
-ment
to pu n ish
to agree
the agreement
to pay
the payment
to employ
to argue
to govern
Changing Parts of Speech
To exist
-ance
to annoy
the annoyance
-ence
to refer
the reference
to attend
_______________________ to prefer
To perform
to accept
to disturb
-ation
the consideration
to inform
the information
To declare
to combine
the combination
To examine
to prepare
to resign
-sion
To impress
to confuse
the confusion
to decide
the decision
to revise
to profess
to divide
-er
-or
to admire
to consider
to paint
to teach
the teacher
to direct
the director
to govern
O
to manage
to employ
Exercise 4 Making adjectives into norms. Here are some
common suffixes that change adjectives into nouns. Fill in the
blanks. Check your dictionary if you are not sure of the
spelling.
--ness
-ity
Kind
The kindness
pleasant ________________
Quiet
The quietness
useful __________________
happy
__________________ sleepy___________________
Active
the activity
Real ____________________
curious
the curiosity
mobile___________________
stupid
____________________ Tranquil _________________
ideal
the idealism
colonial
the colonialism
Imperial _________________
-ism
Favorite ____________
human
Exercise -5.
-ish
-y
Conservative ______________
Making nouns into adjectives. Here are some common suffixes
that change nouns into adjectives. Fill in the blanks. Check your
dictionary if you are not sure of the spelling.
the fool
the self
the child
the sheep
the cloud
cloudy
the dirt
the wealth
wealthy
the guilt
the fun
the mess
the friend
friendly
the order
the cost
costly
the man
the month
the time
the accident
the region
-al
the universe
universal
the brute
•ous
•ary
the danger
dangerous
the mystery
mysterious
the fame
_______
the moment
momentary
the compliment
the custom
customary
the revolution
the nerve
the poison
the victory
the honor
the fragment _________
•like
the life
lifelike
the lady
the child
-1C
•less
•ful
the war
the history
historic
the photograph
the artist
artistic
the rhythm the
the athlete
___ _
base
the power
powerless
the use the fault
the home
homeless
_
the age
___ .._
the power
powerful
the delight
the skill
skillful
the success
the faith
___..._
_._
the worth
the beauty
Exercise 6. Making verbs into adjectives. Here are some common suffixes
that change verbs into adjectives. Fill in the blanks. Check
your dictionary if yo u . a r e not sure of the spelling.
civil
-ize
real
to realize
author
to authorize
immortal
organ
familiar
legal
final
to familiarize
critic
computer
Word Forms Exercise
One familiar way to change a verb into an adjective is to use the
present participle (the -ing ending) or the past participle (the ed ending). For example:
"Your idea surprises me. It is a surprising
idea," she said with a surprised tone of
voice.
Present and Past
Participles as
Adjectives
Students sometimes confuse these two forms. One student, for
example, once said that he was boring in the English class. He meant,
of course, that he was bored.
"He was a boring student" means that he caused
others to be bored. "He was a bored student"
means that others caused him to be bored.
Exercise 10.
Fill in the blank with the correct adjective form of the
italicized verb. For example:
The professor did not mean to bore the class. However, his lecture
was very boring... The whole class was —bored—,
1. The teacher hoped to interest his students in English
grammar. His explanations were so ___________
all the
that
students were ________________
2. Bob Hope is paid a high salary to amuse people. His audience is
always_____________________ by his _______ ____________
jokes.
3. The Boy Scout leader had not intended to tire: the boys. The
mountain was so high, however, that the climb was
very____________________ When they reached the top, all the
boys were very_______________________.
4.
The
lawyer
tried
to convince
the
jury.
He
gave
many
____________________ reasons. The jury was finally ___________
5.
John decided to frighten his younger brother, Jimmy. He put
on a horrid looking mask that was so _ __ ___________________
that Jimmy was ______________________ and cried all night.
Prefixes and suffixes are added to word stems. Sometimes a word
stem can be used by itself, such as the word act or form. Most
often H word stem can be used only in combination with a prefix
or A suffix. For example, the word stern diet has a root meaning
of "to say or to
speak," but it is
never
used
alone. Prefixes
can be
used
before
the
stem (predict, contradict), or suffixes added after the stein
(diction, dictator). Most word stems in English come from
Latin and Greek. If you learn the most common of these, you
will be able to analyze the meaning of many words without
having to look them up in a dictionary.
Word Stems
Word Stem Exercises
Exercise -11. In the chart below, some of the most common word
stems are listed alphabetically. The meaning of the
stem is given as an area of meaning because most
often there is no one single specific meaning. In
the right-hand column, space has been left for you
to record examples of words which are built
upon the stem.
Word stem
anthro
Area of meaning
man, mankind
* auto
self
bibl
hook
chrome
color
chron
time
Word stem
Area of meaning
cosm
order, world
cycl
wheel, circle
dic dict
say, speak
Duc, duct
lead
fac, fact,
fect
do, make
form
form, shape
fort
geo
Examples
strong
earth
Examples
gram,
graph
.write, writing
hetero
other, different
homo
same
log, logy
speech, word, study
man,
manu
hand
mater,
matri
mother
medi
middle
mit,
miss
multi
send
many
nonmen,
nym
name
omni
All
Word stem
I
Area of meaning
pan
all, entire
pater,
patri
father
pathy
feeling, suffering
phil
like, love
phon
sound
port
carry
- scrib
script
-
write
Examples
!
sequ,
secut
follow
soph
wisdom, wise
tax,
tact
tele
arrange, order
far, distant
tempor
time
tract
draw, pull
vene,
vent
come, go
vert,
vers
turn
voc,
vok
call
volve,
volu
roll, turn
Exercise-12. Analyze each of the italicized words. Use your dictionary.
Write answers on the lines provided.
1. -due-, -ducta. What does the conductor of an orchestra literally do?
b. What is inductive reasoning?
c. What is an aqueduct used for?
d. Is the word duke related to this stem?
2. -die-, -dicta. What is a prediction? b. How is dictator related to this stem?
c. What is an edict?
d. What is a contradiction?
3. -forma. What is a transformation?
b. Is formula related to this stem?
c. What does formulate mea?
d. What does conform mean?
4. -fort-
a. What does fortitude mean?
b. Is comfort related to this stem?
c. What is the meaning of fortify? d.. Is fortune related to this stem?
5. -media. What is a mediator?
b. What are the elements of the word Mediterranean?
c. Is medicine related to this stem?
d. What is the meaning of mediocre?
6. -man-, -manua. What is manual labor?
b. What are the elements of manufacture?
c. What is a manuscript?
d. Is maneuver related to this stem?
7. -tracta. What is a tractor?
b. Give an example of an extract
c. What is the opposite of expand?
d. What does a contractor literally do?
8. -voca. What is a vocation?
b. What is the meaning of evoke?
c. What is a provocative idea?
d. Is vocabulary related to this steam
Exercise -13. Using all you know about prefixes, suffixes, and word
stems, first guess the meaning of each of the italicized
words. Circle the letter of the best answer. Next use your
dictionary to check your answer. Then on the lines at the
right, write an original sentence that uses the italicized
word correctly.
1. Anthropology is the study of
A animals
B man
2. The meeting convened early.
C apes
D disease
A commenced
3.
B
broke up C
came together
D
voted
to retract a statement
A produce
B disbelieve C
admit
D withdraw
4. He was deported.
A
sent out of the country B
5.
carried to bed C
dropped out of school D
invited to come
a bibliography for a course
A library requirements
B outline
C list of books
6.
events told in chronological order
A colorful
B time C confusing D realistic
D written assignments
7. He is a bibliophile.
A lover of books B author C book publisher D librarian
8
Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I were contemporaries,
A they lived in the same country
B
they were friends C
they disliked each other
D they lived at the same time
9. The consequences of an act are those which
A cause it
B complete it
C are unimportant
D come after it
10. A philologist is one who
A
studies mankind
B enjoys words C loves wisdom
11. Cosmology is the study of
D speaks correctly
A the geography of the earth B skin and beauty treatments C the universe D rock formations
12. A sophisticated person is
A worldly-wise B educated C silly, foolish D philosophical
13. The UN was asked to intervene.
A
to solve the problem
B to come between the two sides
C
to supply food and clothing
D
to choose between the two sides
14. He collects autographs.
A automobile pictures
B personal signatures
C charts and maps
D handwritten books
15. a matriarch in the family
A a marriage ceremony B the
father's death
C a strong
mother
D a financial problem
Trabajo Final de la Unidad 6 del módulo “Problemas en la Enseñanza de Lenguas”
¿CÓMO FORMAR FAMILIA DE PALABRAS?
A través de varios años de enseñar “Estrategias de Lectura de Compresión” he
encontrado que uno de los problemas más difíciles de resolver por los estudiantes es el de
¿cómo formar familia de palabras?. Ellos no saben cómo formarlas, ni en su propio
idioma no saben que son afijos, ni que es una palabra raíz, ni en dónde deben cortar tal
palabra y agregar un sufijo,
O que prefijo agregar. Por lo que, a continuación doy a conocer la investigación que
realice sobre este tema, dándoles a conocer una amplia gama de afijos con ejercicios,
uno de ellos trate de hacerlo en excell(ejercicio 7), para darle un toque diferente a la clase
y motivar a los estudiantes a poner en práctica su conocimiento.
Por otro lado, este problema está vinculado con varios aspectos lingüísticos que abarca la
Lingüística Aplicada como: a) de adquisición, el estudiante tiene dificultad en su
comprensión y en su producción. B) pragmático, el estudiante tiene dificultad en entender
la diferencia entre usos y connotaciones que lo hacen difícil de entender. C) semántico,
el estudiante no el queda claro el significado de las palabras. D) sintáctico, el estudiante
tiene problemas para estructurar los enunciados.
E) morfológico, el estudiante
desconoce los cambios producidos por sufijos o prefijos. Y F) el estudiante no entiende
algunas de las palabras al escucharlas.
Fundamente mi trabajo con diversas lecturas de apoyo. Es conveniente recordar que al
igual que en el lenguaje, no existen correspondencias unívocas. En el uso comunicativo
de cualquier lengua una función puede ser realizada por diferentes formas lingüísticas y
una misma forma lingüística puede llevar a cabo diferentes funciones. Igualmente una
lectura puede servir a más de un punto del programa, así como varias lecturas atacar un
mismo punto del programa. Es así que algunas de las lecturas apoyarán no sólo al
objetivo original para el cual fueron seleccionadas, sino que también podrán auxiliar a
otros objetivos del programa VI de la preparatoria.
Las lecturas de apoyo se dividieron en dos:
A) Las lecturas de contextualización general que nos servirán como marco de
contextualización teórica y
B)
Las lecturas de apoyo al objetivo específico.
En lo que respecta a las lecturas de contextualización general se ha buscado, primero,
que se vean aspectos lingüísticos y didácticos, que sirvan para tratar de enriquecer aún
más algunos aspectos con más información a los docentes, y; tercero cubrir algún punto
que no haya sido tratado anteriormente.
De la misma forma las vertientes que se cubren corresponden a tres ejes: el
psicolingüístico, el de contenido o lingüístico y el didáctico.
En el eje psicolingüístico se incluye el capítulo 2, Comprehension of Sentences, del libro
de los Clark, PSYCHOLOGY AND LANGUAGE. En él se trata de dar una perspectiva
sobre los procesos que se siguen para la comprensión de enunciados en la interacción
comunicativa.
Por lo que se refiere al eje de contenido, el capítulo 6, Syntax, del libro de Dwight Bolinger,
ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE. En ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE. Bolinger nos dice:
“The essence of syntax is freedom. How much of that precious essence our minds
actually distill-how free we really are- no one can truly say;… Yet
when syntax is compared with words and idioms, its freedom seems almost absolute. The
speaker gives every sign of having virtually unlimited means at his disposal for building
sentences, provided he builds them according to certain expectations of the hearerexpectations in the form of syntactic rules-and does not violate the restrictions that
particular words impose on the kind of company they are willing to keep. The
connectedness within words is established once and then repeated, but the
connectedness within syntax seem to be ad-libbed.”
En lo que corresponde al eje didáctico, en esta parte de la contextualización, el capítulo 3
del libro de D.A. Wilkins, LINGUISTICS IN LANGUAGE TEACHING, GRAMMAR nos da
una muy válida , no obstante que data de 1973, explicación del papel que la gramática de
una lengua debe jugar en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la misma. Cómo
Wilkins lo dice al iniciar el capítulo 3 de su libro:
“It is axiomatic that language is systematized. If it were not so, we should not be able to
understand one another.” Y continua “It is the aim of the linguist
to reveal the system of language, the langue, and of the language teacher to enable
people to learn it.”
Así también se incluyeron el capítulo 9, “Questioning” del libro de Christine Nutall,
TEACHING READING SKILLS IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE y el 6 ensayo “Conceptual
and Communicative Functions in Written Discourse”, del libro de Widdowson,
EXPLORATIONS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS 2.
B) Las lecturas de apoyo al objetivo específico
El capítulo 3, Learning the Vocabulary of English del libro de Richard Yorkey, STUDY
SKILLS FOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, nos introduce, de
una forma explicita a aspectos relacionados con la formación de familia de palabras y
aunque son presentadas en forma paradigmática y gramatical, de cualquier manera,
constituyen elementos de consulta de vital importancia no sólo para cualquier docente,
sino también como material de consulta para el estudiante. Esta lectura es una de las
recomendadas para tener bases teóricas para sostener y fundamentar el problema que
planteo.
Con el fin de apoyar mi propuesta creo que el estudiante deberá aprender el manejo del
diccionario con sus diferentes presentaciones y cada una de sus partes, utilizando la
estrategia de igual nombre para resolver el problema de ítemes desconocidos cuyo
significado es imposible de abordar por medio de estrategia contextuales para así resolver
problemas de vocabulario
desconocido. Se vuelve a trabajar con el libro de Richard C. Yorkey, STUDY SKILLS
FOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. Concretamente se leyó el
capítulo 2 del mismo “Using an English Dictionary”, la muy breve referencia que J. David
Cooper hace del diccionario en su libro COMO MEJORAR LA COMPRESION LECTORA
y la seccion 6 Dictionaries and Libraries del libro de Anthony Forrester, READING
RESOURCES. Una buena introducción a un diccionario de alta calidad editorial y
académica es el SCOTT, FORESSMAN ADVANCED DICTIONARY, por medio del cual se
presenta el material que diccionarios de esta calidad ofrecen. Además se consultaron
varias páginas internet.
CONCLUSIONES:
Se pretende introducir tanto a maestros como a estudiantes a estimular estrategias de una
de las habilidades receptivas, la lectura. El entender los procesos que conlleva el
descodificar el discurso escrito en una lengua adicional es primordial para el desempeño
de su labor profesional y estudiantil. Se estima que es interesante el pensar y trabajar en
los siguientes aspectos:
° Buscar una buena definición de COMPRENSION.
° Interiorizarse en la dicotomía que presentan los procesos de construcción y
los procesos de utilización.
° Analizar cómo se construyen las interpretaciones.
° Entender el enfoque sintáctico al proceso de construcción.
°
Comprender palabras funcionales, afijos, verbos y cláusulas como elementos
sintácticos.
° Entender cuál es la capacidad de la memoria y cómo se construyen las proposiciones
subyacentes.
° Una vez visto el enfoque sintáctico, trabajar el enfoque semántico, así como con los
principios cooperativos y de realidad.
° Entender cómo se sabe el significado de las oraciones, cómo estas se ligan al contexto
y qué utilización se le da al orden de las palabras.
° Trabajar con el concepto de “ambigüedad”.
Una vez que lleven a cabo estos aspectos en cada lectura que realicen, irán progresando
con gran éxito en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y serán
capaces de extender su vocabulario en áreas que no son incluidas en su libro de texto.
Obviamente, un estudiante entre más escuche, hable, lea y escriba inglés, más
oportunidad tendrá de aumentar su vocabulario. Como una medida de su interés y
esperanza , el tamaño relativo de su vocabulario será significativo, aún cuando no se
pueda medir con exactitud.
BIBLIOGRAFIA
BOLINGER, Dwight, Aspects of Language, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich International
Edition. USA, 1975 Capítulo 6 Syntax pp. 134 –l84.
CLARK, Eve y Herbert Clark, Psychology and Language, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich
International Edition, USA, 1980. Capítulo 2. pp. 43-85
COOPER, J. David. Cómo Mejorar la Comprensión Lectora. Aprendizaje, Visor.
Madrid. 1990. pp.220-222,
FORRESTER, Anthony. Reading Resources. Sección 6. Dictionaries and Libraries,
Collins ELT>, London. 1984. pp. 76-87
NUTALL, Cristina, Teaching Reading Skills in a foreign Language. Capítulo 9:
Questioning. Heinemann Educational Books. London 1982. pp. 125-135
WIDDOWSON, H. G. Explorations in Applied Linguistics 2, Oxford University Pres,
Inglaterra. 1984. Sección 6 Conceptual and Communicative Functions in Written
Discourse, pp. 77 – 83
WILKINS, D.A. Linguistics in Language Teaching. Edward Arnold. Great Britain 2976.
Capítulo 3. pp. 68 – 108..
YORKEY, Richard, Study for Students of English as Second Language, Capítulo 2:
Using an English Dictionary, McGraw-Hill. USA. 1970 PP45-76. Capítulo 3: Learning
the Vocabulary of English. pp. 8-44
http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/quiz/wordf1.html
http://www.buildersdata.com/help/wordforms.html
http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz81mkq.htm
http://www.thunderstone.com/site/webinator4man/node145.html
http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/word_forms.htm
Tipos de Palabras
Muchas palabras están relacionadas ya que nacen de una misma
palabra. El conjunto formado por todas ellas se denomina familia de
palabras.
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