72   I can use prefixes

A    Negative prefixes 

Adjective/OPP  

Example     

Meaning     

Other words

insecure OPP secure

She’s very insecure about her appearance.

not confident about yourself. 

informal  inflexible

 

immoral OPP moral 

She stole money from my children. That’s immoral.

thought to be wrong or dishonest by most people.    

impossible  impatient

 

illegible OPP legible 

My doctor’s writing is illegible.     

very difficult or impossible to read.      

illegal

 

irrelevant OPP relevant  

I need some new shoes. The colour’s irrelevant.      

not important to what you are discussing or doing.  

irregular  irresponsible

 

unfair OPP fair 

His office is bigger than mine. It’s so unfair!    

not treating each person in the same way or equally. 

unpleasant  unsuccessful

 

unacceptable OPP acceptable      

The player hit the ref. That’s unacceptable.

so bad that you think it should not be allowed. 

uncertain  unkind

 

disloyal OPP loyal

They were very disloyal to the family. 

not supporting your friends, family, country, etc.      

dishonest  disorganized

 

non-alcoholic OPP alcoholic

Is this drink non-alcoholic?

Juice is non-alcoholic, beer and wine are alcoholic.

non-smoking  non-fiction

 

spotlight  prefixes

A prefix is a letter or group of letters that you put at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. The prefixes above have the meaning ‘not’, e.g. insecure = not secure, illegible = not legible. 

ABOUT YOU Write your own answers, or ask another student.

Answers from a Colombian person

1     Life is always unfair, but knowing that means that I do not expect anything marvellous to happen and have therefore become cynical.

2     It has always been acceptable to them and unacceptable to others and it will remain so.

3     My friends tend to be loyal but a disloyal friend can always appear loyal at first.

4     My handwriting is probably the clearest sign of a confused mind! Even I can’t read it - it is completely illegible.

5     I think it should be legal. I learnt to drive when I was 17 and didn’t have an accident: for the first four years.

B    Reversing an action

5     Complete the table using a synonym of the verb on the left, then write the opposite.

Sentence       Synonym      Opposite

► Take the bags out of the car.  Unload the car.  Load the car.

1     Take the paper off the present.      

2     Shut the suitcase with a key.          

3     Put your clothes on.         

4     Put your things in your suitcase.           

5     Fasten the buttons on your shirt.          

6     Fasten your shoelaces.     

1     Unwrap the present. Wrap (up) the present.

2     Lock the suitcase. Unlock the suitcase.

3     Get dressed. Get undressed.

4     Pack your suitcase. Unpack your suitcase.

5     Do up your shirt. Undo your shirt.

6     Tie up / Do up your shoelaces. Untie / Undo your shoelaces. 

6     Test yourself. Look at the pictures and cover the words. Say the words and opposites.