General English Level 5 V 3
UNIT 05 Technology TOPIC 01 Changes
LANGUAGE FOCUS 03 Suffixes and prefixes

1. Prefixes

The website says:

… even though they were un suitable for their climate and lifestyle.
These were very slow, un comfortable and expensive.

We can add un at the beginning of some adjectives, to give them the opposite meaning.

Examples

un safe un healthy
un kind un reliable
un believable un happy
un tidy un fashionable
The website says:
… through her use of simple clothes, scarves and in expensive jewellery.

We can also add in at the beginning of some adjectives, for the same reason.

Examples

in convenient
in correct
in experienced
in direct



in and un are the most common prefixes. Others can also be used to show opposite meaning.

We add il to most adjectives beginning with l .
Example - il logical
We add im to most adjectives beginning with b , m or p .
Example - im possible
We add ir to most adjectives beginning with r .
Example - ir responsible
We can also add dis .
Example - dis agreeable


2. Suffixes

The website says:
A more masculine, shape less look became popular …

We can add less at the end of some nouns, to turn them into adjectives.

Examples

end less
harm less
use less
breath less
hope less

We form the opposite of some of these adjectives by adding the suffix - ful .

Examples

harm ful
use ful
hope ful

Now go to 04 WRITING Prefixes and suffixes.