Prefixes
La Bryant was feeling antisocial, so he decided to stay home by himself on Friday night. What does the prefix anti mean?
Against or opposite
Amonyeah was reluctant to join the swim team because she felt nervous about competing in front of a crowd.
Reluctant = Unwilling or hesitant to do something
Before starting the experiment, Jasmine wrote a hypothesis predicting that plants would grow faster with more sunlight.
Hypothesis = A guess or prediction that can be tested through experiments.
When Mr. Keck walked into his classroom Monday morning, he found muddy footprints leading to his desk, a broken pencil on the floor, and the window slightly open—even though he had locked the door Friday afternoon. What happened?
Someone broke in through the window.
The fearless firefighter ran into the building without hesitation. What does -less mean?
without
Armani was excited to travel to the country of Mexico for Spring Break, this was his first international trip! What does the prefix inter mean?
Between
The garden was so abundant with vegetables that we had more tomatoes than we could eat.
Abundant = Existing in large quantities; having a lot or more than enough.
In the experiment, the only variable was the type of soil used—everything else stayed the same.
Variable = something that can change or be changed in a scientific experiment.
When Sarah opened her locker, she found a half-eaten cookie on top of her math book and noticed the combination lock was hanging open. She was sure she spun it before leaving yesterday. What happened?
Someone must have seen her combination and broken into her locker.
Her kindness toward the new student made everyone smile.What does -ness mean?
state or quality of something
Savannah misunderstood the teacher and accidentally wrote a 50 page paper instead of a 5 page paper. What does the prefix mis mean?
wrongly
After forgetting to study for the test, failing felt inevitable—like it was bound to happen no matter what.
Inevitable = Certain to happen; unavoidable.
The moving car had a lot of energy, which is why it could crash through the barrier so forcefully.
Energy = The ability to do work or cause change; can exist in forms such as kinetic, thermal, or potential.
Liam came home and found his dog hiding under the table, an empty pizza box on the floor, and sauce smeared on the couch. What happened?
The dog got into the pizza
He is a careful driver, especially in bad weather. What does the suffix -ful mean?
Full of
Ori had never been to New York City and was a little nervous to use the subway because she had to go down so many steps to get there. What does the prefix sub mean?
under or below
The student’s science project was so elaborate that it included moving parts, lights, and a written report.
Elaborate = Having lots of careful details or complicated parts; detailed and thorough.
The human body is a system made up of organs that work together to keep us alive.
System = A group of parts that work together as a whole.
At lunchtime, Emily noticed her water bottle was missing, but there was a different one in its place with the same color and design. Hers had a small sticker of a cat on it—this one didn’t. What happened?
Someone must have accidentally swapped their water bottle for hers since they were nearly identical.
Mr. Dalbey was horrible typist. It took him forever to type words on the computer. What does the suffix -ist mean?
Someone who ____
Anthony just got a puppy. He is so hungry that he can only feed him one cup at a time so he doesn't overeat. What does the prefix over mean?
Over/above/too much
We could barely stand outside for more than a few minutes because of the frigid wind cutting through our coats.
Frigid = Extremely cold in temperature.
After recording temperatures every day for a month, the students studied the data to find patterns.
Data = Facts or information collected through observation or experimentation.
Brian was annoyed that he had to walk 2 miles to the quiktrip and 2 miles back to his car. What happened?
He ran out of gas and had to walk to go get some for his car.
The silly excuse she made for being late was laughable. What does the suffix -able mean?
To be able to ____