RIC-20239 Primary Grammar and Word Study Year 4 – Understanding and choosing words

Understanding and
choosing words
Prefixes
Focus
Prefixes: inter, sub, pre and dis.
Definition
• A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to the
beginning of a word to alter its meaning and form a new
word.
Example:
The Emperor dislikes those who disobey.
Explanation
• A prefix is a word part that has a meaning of its own,
often derived from Greek or Latin. Prefixes usually do
not occur as independent words. The prefix is added to
the beginning of a base word to change its meaning,
without changing the spelling of that word. Sometimes
a hyphen is placed between the prefix and the base (or
root) word, such as in the following:
- when prefixes come before proper nouns
Example:
un-Australian, anti-American
- when prefixes ending in a or i are added to a word
that begins with the same letter:
Example:
ultra-ambitious
- when the prefix is ex or self, (except for selfish and
selfless),
Example:
ex-husband, self-centred
• Ensure students learn to be aware of letter clusters that
look like prefixes, but aren’t, e.g. the letters un in uncle,
or in in invented.
Students can practise identifying these ‘trick’ prefixes by
looking at the base or root word that is left. The prefixes
that cause the most difficulty are re, in and dis.
• Learning the meanings of prefixes can help students
decipher, spell and understand words, especially larger
words, and increase their vocabulary. Understanding
that the spelling of neither the prefix nor the base
word changes can help students to spell commonly
misspelled words such as unnecessary, misspell and
disappointment.
• Trans is a prefix meaning across, over or beyond.
Example:
transaction, transmission, transport, transplant
• Inter means among, between or in the midst of and
often indicates a connection between things.
Example:
interschool, interstate, interactive
• Sub has a number of meanings;
Example:
under, beneath, below (submarine, submerge),
(subnormal) and nearly (subcentral)
• Pre can mean earlier than, before (prehistoric)
or in front of (premolar).
• Dis has a number of meanings; when attached to
verbs it usually means to reverse or do the opposite
(disagree, disbelieve) or to remove (disrobe, disarm);
when added to nouns it commonly means opposite
(disrespect, distaste), and when added to adjectives or
past participles means not (dishonest, disobedient).
Worksheet information
• Discuss the definition of prefixes with the students.
Describe how each prefix has a meaning of its own, and
when added to another word changes the meaning of
that word. Write some examples of words with prefixes,
and allow the students to draw a line dividing the
prefixes from the base words. Discuss how sometimes
a word might look like it has a prefix; e.g. predator.
Remind students to check if the following letters form a
base word or not, to determine if it is a prefix.
• Read the story with the students. Some may not
understand all the words; what is important is that
they hear the prefixes in context and understand the
general story. Students then complete the worksheet as
directed.
• It is important that there is a conclusion to this activity.
Students need to conference in small groups, or discuss
their findings as a class. Each small group (or the whole
class) should compile a set of meanings for each prefix
that the teacher should ensure is correct.
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Ideas for further practice
• Students could compare the meanings of words with the
prefix in and the prefix inter.
• Search for more words with the prefix inter- using
books, magazines and newspapers.
Answers
1. Teacher check
Primary grammar and word study 46
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