Using Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words to Improve College Level Vocabulary

Transcription

1 Using Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words to Improve College Level Vocabulary Steven Reid 6/15/2013

2 1 Table of Contents Introduction... 2 Overview... 3 Word Circle... 4 Prefixes Card Sort... 5 Suffixes... 6 Prefix, Suffix, and Root Worksheet... 7 Appendix A Word Circles... 8 Appendix B Card Sort Appendix C Suffix Worksheet Appendix E Prefix, Suffix, and Root Worksheet Appendix F Prefixes Appendix G Root Words Appendix H Suffixes... 35

3 2 Introduction Often students approach vocabulary acquisition as a Just Memorize It type of exercise. Some student painstakingly waste time dragging out a dictionary when the word could easily be broken apart to discern its meaning, if only the student knew what the individual pieces of the word meant. In this unit, I will show students how to dissect words by exploring the meanings of the prefixes, suffixes and roots that were used to create the word. By taking their knowledge of the pieces, they will be able to gain the understanding of more complicated, college- level vocabulary simply by breaking it apart.

4 3 Overview One of the best methods for teaching the word construction method of vocabulary is through the use of analogies. By using words the students already know, they will be able to build on that knowledge to learn new words. With that in mind, the first part of the lesson will involve Word Circles. These are used to take the new affix or root and pair it with words already in the students vocabulary. The Word Circles can be used in discussion each time new affixes or roots are taught. Prefixes are explored through the use of a Card Sort activity where the students will be asked to look at a set of prefixes and roots and then match them together. The suffix lesson uses matching to begin the process of suffix understanding and expands to look at acquiring meaning based on the root and the suffix combination. Finally, all three pieces are used to define new vocabulary. These lessons may be expanded by following up with passages taken from literature to allow students to discover more vocabulary that can be dissected using their newfound skills with prefixes, suffixes and roots. Articles from journals, cuttings from novels, stories from newspapers or magazines could all be possible sources for additional work in this area.

5 4 Word Circle Objective: To help students see the connection between the affix or root when used in a word they are familiar with and how it could be used to help define new vocabulary. Materials: Copies of: From Appendix A: Word Circle (completed copy with root word man ) handout Large Word Circle handout Small Word Circle handout From Appendices F, G, and H: Copies of Prefix List, Root List, Suffix List Directions: 1. Discuss with students how to fill out the chart: a. Start with the affix or root to be learned, place it in the center. b. Define the affix or root. c. Fill in as many words as possible using the affix or root. d. Complete the Circle by using a dictionary or the internet to find more words that use that affix or root. 2. Using the completed copy, discuss how each of the words in the Circle are related to the definition of the root man hand. a. Manuscript a handwritten copy b. Manacles handcuffs c. Manipulate to move it by hand, etc. 3. Choose another affix or root and, using the large Word Circle, have the class as a whole complete the circle. Students can call out words that use that affix or root and then how it is related to the definition. 4. Next, you may want to provide you students with a few copies of the pages with 4 small circles on it. They can use these for their personal exploration, or you may want to assign them 4 (or more) affixes or roots and have them complete the Word Circles for each.

6 5 Prefixes Card Sort Objective: To help students see the connection between a prefix and a word. This will help students see which prefix can be attached to which word, and how it affects the meaning. Materials: Copies of the Card Match pages (one set for each student/group) from Appendix B. It will probably be best to copy these on card stock. This will allow for the cards to stand up to the wear- and- tear they will experience during multiple uses. Copies of Prefix List and Root List (from Appendices F and G). Directions: 1. Have students working either alone or in small groups match the prefixes to words on the appropriate card. Students may discover that some prefixes can be attached to more than one card, or that a word may work with multiple prefixes. 2. Have students write down all of the new words they have created and the definition of the new words. 3. You may also have them group: a. All the words that match a particular prefix, b. All the prefixes that match a particular work, and/or c. All prefixes that have similar meaning.

7 6 Suffixes Objective: To allow students to become more familiar with suffix usage, function, and meaning. Materials: Copies of Suffix Worksheet (Appendix C) Copies of Suffix List (Appendix H) Copies of Root List (Appendix G) Directions: 1. Discuss the function of Suffixes when used with roots, such as how words often change their parts of speech when a suffix is added. For example: a. ion, changes the verb act to the noun action. b. ible, changes the noun vision to the adjective visible. 2. Suffixes can also be used to modify a word in other ways: a. ette can be used to make something smaller, as in kitchen to kitchenette. b. ess can be used to show gender, waiter to waitress. (However, this is falling out of favor as English moves toward more gender- neutral usage.) 3. If desired, the teacher may want to use the Word Circles (from Appendix A) to further explore the various suffixes from the List. 4. When the teacher feels the students are comfortable with suffix usage, all them to explore to words by using the Suffix Worksheet.

8 7 Prefix, Suffix, and Root Worksheet Objective: To allow the students to use all the affix and root to find the meaning of college level vocabulary. Materials: Copies of the Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root lists Copies of the Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Word Worksheet from Appendix E. Directions: 1. As the culmination of their work with the word components, have the students use the worksheet to use their newfound skills to define previously unknown words. 2. First have the students deconstruct the word into its parts. 3. Then, but using these parts, have the students create a definition for the word. 4. Finally, using a dictionary, have the students check their created definition with the actual definition of the word. 5. You may want to have the students work in teams or share their results with the group.

9 Appendix A Word Circles 8

10 9 Root or Affix Meani ng

11 10 Root or Affix Mea ning Root or Affix Mea ning Root or Affix Mea ning Root or Affix Mea ning

12 11 Root or Affix Meani ng man hand m a n u s c ri p t manacl es manipula te emancipa te m a n u a l managem ent m a n u f a c t u r e m a n e u v e r

13 Appendix B Card Sort 12

14 13 a typical di section dis interest re vive

15 14 in scribe anti freeze non sense post pone

16 15 ex hale im possible mono tone trans verse

17 16 ir regular un helpful sub liminal mal practice

18 Appendix C Suffix Worksheet 17

19 18 DIRECTIONS: Match the root word to the appropriate suffix. Root Word sequ bio acid tact vent act stat Suffix ile us ure ive logy el ic DIRECTIONS: Identify the suffix in each word and use it to define the word. Bibliophile Retirement Respondent Theocracy Romanesque Falsify Negligence Civil Homicide Edible Suffix Meaning of word

20 19 ANSWER KEY DIRECTIONS: Match the root word to the appropriate suffix. Root Word sequ bio acid tact vent act stat Suffix ile us ure ive logy el ic DIRECTIONS: Identify the suffix in each word and use it to define the word. Suffix Meaning of word Bibliophile - phile Someone who loves books Retirement - ment A state of being retired Respondent - ent One who responds Theocracy - cracy government of religion Romanesque - esque in the style of romance Falsify - ify to make false Negligence - ence the act of neglect Civil - il like the citizens Homicide - cide to kill a human Edible - ible able to be eaten

21 Appendix E Prefix, Suffix, and Root Worksheet 20

22 21 DIRECTIONS: Identify any prefixes, suffixes, and/or root words used to create these words, and then use them to create a definition for the word. After completing your definitions, use a dictionary to find the exact definition. ambidextrous My definition Dictionary definition misogynist My definition Dictionary definition immortal My definition Dictionary definition photosynthesis My definition Dictionary definition ambivalence My definition Dictionary definition amorphous My definition Dictionary definition

23 22 sanctimonious My definition Dictionary definition nonsectarian My definition Dictionary definition incontrovertible My definition Dictionary definition demographic My definition Dictionary definition heliocentric My definition Dictionary definition pugilist My definition Dictionary definition sesquicentennial My definition Dictionary definition

24 23 ANSWER KEY DIRECTIONS: Identify any prefixes, suffixes, and/or root words used to create these words, and then use them to create a definition for the word. After completing your definitions, use a dictionary to find the exact definition. ambidextrous ambi- both dexter- right handed - ous full of My definition: Able to use both hands fully Dictionary definition: able to use both hands equally well misogynist mis wrong gyn women ist one who My definition: one who treats women badly Dictionary definition: a person who hates women immortal im- not death- life al have the quality My definition: does not have the quality of death Dictionary definition: one who is not subject to death photosynthesis photo- light synth to create My definition: creating with light Dictionary definition: the process green plants use to create carbohydrates by using water, light and carbon dioxide ambivalence ambi- val - strength - ence state of My definition: not having any strength (in opinion or belief) Dictionary definition: uncertainly or fluctuations, especially in beliefs amorphous a- not morph- shape - ous full of My definition: not having a shape Dictionary definition: lacking a definite form

25 24 sanctimonious My definition: being full of holiness sanct- holy - ous full of Dictionary definition: having a hypocritical showiness of righteousness nonsectarian non- not sect- religious My definition: not involving religion Dictionary definition: not affiliated with a specific religion incontrovertible in- not, contro against vert- to turn - ible able to My definition: not able to be turn against Dictionary definition: not open to question or dispute demographic Root Root Suffix(es) demo- people, graph- to write - ic pertaining to My definition: something written about a the people Dictionary definition: social statistics of a human population heliocentric Root Root(s) Suffix(es) helio- sun cent- center - ic pertaining to My definition: pertaining to the sun being the center of the universe Dictionary definition: having the sun as the center pugilist pug to fight ist- one who My definition: someone who fights Dictionary definition: a boxer sesquicentennial My definition: 150 years sesqui- 1.5 time cent 100 Dictionary definition 150 th anniversary

26 Appendix F Prefixes 25

27 26 Prefix Meaning Example Definition a, ab, abs away from absent not present, away abscond to run away ad, a, ac, af to, toward adapt to fit to ag, an, ar, at adhere to stick to an annex to add or join anim life, spirit animate to bring to life ante before antebellum before the war anti against antifreeze a substance that prevents freezing auc, aug increase augment to make greater, to increase aud, aur to hear audience a group of listeners auto self automatic having a self- acting or self- regulating mechanism ben, bon, eu good benefit something that promotes goodness, something helpful euphoric feeling of great happiness bi, bis two bicycle two wheel cycle circum, cir around circumvent to go around com, con, co with, together combine to bring together contra, counter against contraband items that are against the law to sell or own de away from, down depart to go away from the opposite of decline to go down dis, dif, di apart dislocate to dislodge dys bad, abnormal dysfunction bad or abnormal function ecto, exo outside exoskeleton an outside covering, or hard shell endo inside endocranial inside the skull epi upon, on top of epicenter the place on the surface above the focus of an earthquake equ, equi equal equalize to make equal ex, e, ef out, from exhale to breathe out eject to throw out extra beyond extraterrestrial beyond the earth hetero other heterogeneous made up of different things homo same homogenize to make the same hyper above hyperactive more active hypo under hypodermic below the skin in, il, ir, im en in, into ingest to take in

28 27 impose to force into Prefix Meaning Example Definition in, il, ig, ir, im not inactive not active irrelevant not relevant inter between, among interstate between the states intra within intracellular within a cell mal, male bad, ill, wrong malfunction to fail to function properly macro large macroeconomics dealing with large- scale economics, such as within a whole country micro small microscopic too small to be seen with the naked eye mis wrong, badly misspell to spell something incorrectly mono one, along, single monopoly one owner neo new neolithic new stone age non not, the reverse of nonprofit not for making a profit ob in front, against, in obstruct to block, to hide from sight front of, in the way of omni everywhere omnipotent all powerful per through perceive to become aware of through sight peri around perimeter the outer boundary, the distance around poly many polygon many sided object post after postpone to do after pre before preview to see before pro forward, supporting proceed to go forward promote to raise or move forward proto first prototype first or original model pseudo false pseudonym false name, esp. an author's pen- name re, retro again, back return to come back retroactive operating with regards to a past event rewrite to write something again se apart seclude to stay apart from others Re, retro half semicircle half a circle sub under, less than submarine underwater

29 28 subpar less than the standard super over, above superimpose to put over something else Prefix Meaning Example Definition syn, sym together, with sympathize to share a feeling with someone tele far telescope seeing or viewing afar trans across transcontinental across the continent ultra beyond ultraviolet light beyond the violet range un, uni one, along, single unilateral having one side un not unhelpful not helpful

30 Appendix G Root Words 29

31 30 Root Meaning Example Definition act, ag to do, to act agent one who acts as a representative activity an action agri field agronomy field- crop production ambi, amphi both sides amphibian an animal that lives both in water and on land ambu to walk or move ambulance a vehicle that moves sick or injured people anthro human anthropology the study of human and their works apert open aperture an opening bas low basement a room that is low bellu, belli war bellicose prone to or eager to fight bio life biology the study of life cap, capt, cip to take, to hold, to captive one who is held cardio heart cardiac pertaining to the heart carn flesh carnage slaughter of people cent hundred, hundreth century one hundred years cept, ceive seize receive to take ced, cede, ceed to go, to give in precede to go before cess access means of going to chromo color chromatology the science of colors clin to lean or bend inclination to tendency or bent, particularly of the mind clud, clus, claus close claustrophobic fear of being closed in or of tight places cred to believe incredible not believable credit belief or trust curr, curs, cours to run current now, in progress, demo people democracy government of the people dent, don t tooth dentist a doctor who specializes in teeth derma skin dermatologist doctor who specializes in skin conditions

32 31 Root Meaning Example Definition dia through, diameter distance across a circle between, across dog, dox thought or idea dogma official beliefs of a religion orthodox customary ideas or practices dic, dict to say dictionary a book explaining words (sayings) indict to say or make an accusation duc, duct to lead induce to lead to action conduct to lead or guide dyna power dynamic characterized by power and energy equ equal, even equality equal in social, political rights fac, fact, fic, to make, to do fiction something that is made up fect, fy factory a place to make things affect to make a change fer, ferr to carry, bring defer to carry away referral bring a source of help fiss break apart fissure a narrow opening caused by a separation of parts flict to strike conflict a clash or collision fort strength effort an earnest or strenuous attempt fract, frag, frai to break fragment broken pieces geo earth geology study of the earth gnos knowledge prognosis a forecast based on current knowledge grad, gress to go graduate to go out of school progress to go forward graph write graphite a form of carbon used for writing greg group, herd gregarious enjoying groups of people gyn women gynecology branch of medicine dealing with women's health helio sun heliotrope a plant that turns toward the sun hydro water hydraulics the science of the laws of water and other liquids hypno sleep hypnosis a state of sleep induced by suggestion

33 32 jac, ject to throw eject to throw out Root Meaning Example Definition loq, log, loc, lix to talk elocution a person's style of speaking colloquial ordinary speech, not formal logo a symbol for a word or company luc, lum, lus light, clear illustrious glorious, highly distinguished luminous radiating light magni great, big magnify to enlarge man hand manuscript written by hand meta, mut to change metamorphosis to change form or shape mutate to change mit, mis to send admit to send in missile something sent through the air morph shape metamorphosis to change form or shape narco sleep narcotics drugs that reduce pain or induce sleep oper to work operate to work, perform, or function ortho straight orthodox right, true, straight opinion pac, plac peace, calm pacifier something that brings or restores peace or calmness placate to appease or pacify par equal parity equality path feeling empathy to share feelings phon sound phonetics the science or study of speech sound plic to fold, to bend, complicate to fold together to turn implicate to fold in, to involve pod foot podiatrist a doctor who specializes in foot problems pon, pos, posit, pose to place component a part placed together with others transpose to place across compose to put many parts in one place psycho mind psychology study of the mind pug war, fight pugnacious inclined to quarrel or fight pyro fire pyrometer an instrument for measuring temperature rupt to break erupt to break out of a pent- up state sanct holy sanctuary a sacred or holy place

34 33 Root Meaning Example Definition scien knowledge conscience inner knowledge of right and wrong scrib, script to write describe to write (or tell) about transcript a written copy senti feeling sentimental expressing tender emotions or feelings sequ, secu to follow sequence in following order consecutive one the follows another sesqui one and a half sesquialteral having a ratio of 1.5:1 somn, sop sleep insomniac a person who can't sleep son sound dissonance harsh sound soph wise sophisticated altered by education or experience spec, spect, to appear, to look, specimen an example to look at spic to see aspect one way to see something sta, stat, sist, to stand, or make constant standing with stit, sisto stand status social standing stable steady desist to stand away from tact to touch contact to touch together ten, tent, tain to hold retentive holding maintain to keep or hold up tend, tens, tent to stretch extend to stretch out tension stretched out term end, boundary terminal the end terr earth territory a tract of land theo god theology study of religion thermo heat thermometer an instrument for measuring heat tract to draw attract to draw together contract an agreement that is drawn up val strength or worth valor full of worth ven, vent to come convene to come together ver, vert, vers to turn avert to turn away revert to turn back reverse to turn around

35 Root Meaning Example Definition vid, vis to see video the visual part of a broadcast voc, voke to call evoke to call up or produce xen stranger xenophobic fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners zoo animal zoology the study of animals 34

36 Appendix H Suffixes 35

37 36 Suffixes are often used to change a word from one part of speech to another (i.e. changing a verb to a noun). That is including in the "Function" column. Suffix Meaning Function Example Definition able, ible capable of to adj. understandable able to be understood visible able to be seen acious, cous, al acy ance, ancy, ence ant, ent, er, or ar, ary ate, ify, efy, ize, ise, cess, cede, ceed, cease like, having the quality of start or quality the act of, the state of being to adj. nocturnal vivacious of the night having the quality of being lively to noun privacy the state of being private to noun performance truancy one who to noun occupant teacher connected with, related to to adj. to noun ocular beneficiary the act of performing the state of being truant one who occupies one who teaches related to the eye connected with one who receives benefits make to verb customize to make changes that are specific for the user s needs verify to make sure something is true to go, yield to verb concede to yield to the opponent, to give in ancestor a person who goes (lives) before someone else (the - or is what makes this example a noun) cide to kill to noun insecticide a poison for killing insects cis, cise, cut to noun incision a cut made for operating cide* or verb decide to cut out the other options and pick one cracy government to noun democracy government by the people dom place or to noun freedom state of being free state of being en to become to verb enlighten becoming wiser ence quality of, act of to noun existence the act of existing or being Do not confuse the two definitions of the suffix cide; however, they are related: to kill or to cut down.

38 37 esque remind of to adj picturesque visually appealing (like a picture) Suffix Meaning Function Example Definition ette little to noun cigarette a small cigar ful full of to adj fearful full of fear ic, ac, il, ile ish ism ist ity, ty, y ive less of, like, pertaining to having the quality of the practice of, the support of a person who does or makes the state of, the character of have the nature of lacking, without to adj cardiac infantile to adj fiendish like a fiend pertaining to the heart like an infant to noun patriotism supporting one's country to noun dentist artist a person who works on teeth a person who makes art to noun unity the state of being one to adj active having the nature of acting or moving to adj meaningless without meaning logy, ology study to noun biology the study of life ment the act of, to noun retirement the state of being retired the state of ness the quality to adj eagerness the quality of being eager of ory having the nature of, a place of thing for to noun laboratory a place where work (labor) is done ous, ose full of to adj venomous full of venom phile one who to noun thermophile an organism that thrives in high loves temperatures phobe ship sion, tion one who hates or fears the art or skill of, the ability to the act or condition of to noun xenophobe one who hates strangers or foreigners to noun leadership the ability to lead to noun correction the act of correcting

39 38 some full of, like to adj troublesome full of trouble Suffix Meaning Function Example Definition tude y the state of quality of, the ability to full of, somewhat, somewhat like to noun aptitude the ability to do to adj musty chilly willowy having a stale odor somewhat cold like a willow