Prefixes
Use "semi" in a word and explain its meaning.
semisolid, semiannual, semi-sweet = half solid, every six months, not too sweet
What does the root "ann" or "enn" mean?
year
What is the meaning of these words? devastation, intuition
devastation: (N) something badly damaged or destroyed
intuition: (N) a feeling of knowing something, not based on facts
How often do we write biannual reports? How old is a country when it celebrates its bicentennial?
every two years
What are two words that have “capt” or “capit” as their root? Explain those words using what you know about the root.
captain, cap, capital, decapitate
What does "intense" mean? Give the noun, verb, and adverb forms.
intense: something very strong, not moderate at all
intensity (N), intensify (V), intensely
Explain these words: reunification, monopoly, trimester
reunification: unite again
monopoly: one company is in the business and has taken over all of the other ones
trimester: one-third of a school year
What are three words that have the root "dict"?
dictionary, dictation, dictator
Use these three words in a sentence and explain their meaning: critic, immortal, inhumane
critic (a person who judges others, especially their work) My cousin is a movie critic for a newspaper.
immortal (never dies) Although Mozart died at a young age, his music is immortal.
inhumane (not kind or respectful) Jenny is a vegetarian because she hates the inhumane treatment of animals.
Create phrases that have these meanings:
a person with many talents, a place with many cultures
a multitalented person, a multicultural place
Explain these two words using what you know about stems and affixes: vaca-tion; de-mote
"vacation" is empty time (vac = empty)
"demote" is the opposite of "promote." It means to move down in a company. (mot = move)
Give the opposite of these words and explain the meaning: mobile, dependent, conclusive, practical
immobile (can't be moved); independent (free, doesn't depend on others); inconclusive (We can't get results or make a conclusion from them); impractical (not useful for real life - something just to think about)