Reading 5 : Affixes
Objectives: TOEFL iBT Reading Skills: • Review and practice some common prefixes and suffixes. • Practice recognizing parts of speech in context. • Practice using knowledge of word parts to determine the meaning of a word.
Introduction In this section, you will explore how understanding affixes can help you figure out unfamiliar words on the TOEFL iBT test . First, let’s think about affixes . These are parts added to words that change or modify their meanings . There are two main types of affixes: prefixes and suffixes. To begin, consider the word usual . Now, let’s add the prefix un-, changing it to unusual . This makes the word opposite in meaning. Then, add -ly to the word, transforming it into unusually. Notice how each change affects the meaning of the word. Think about how the meaning shifts when prefixes or suffixes are added. This will help you in understanding new words you may come across on the test. Types of Affixes Prefixes are placed at the beginning of words and can alter their meaning in various ways . For example, the prefix un- means “not” (e .g ., unhappy = not happy, unusual = not usual) . Prefixes like extra- mean “beyond” (e .g ., extraordinary = beyond ordinary), and inter- means “between” (e .g ., international = between nations) . Even if you don’t know the root of a word, the prefix can give you valuable clues about its meaning. When you encounter a word you don’t know, take a moment to analyze the prefix—this can help you make a more informed guess about the word’s meaning . Suffixes, on the other hand, are added at the end of words and often tell you what part of speech the word is . For example, adding -ly to an adjective turns it into an adverb (e.g., quick becomes quickly), and adding -ness turns an adjective into a noun (e .g ., happy becomes happiness) . While the TOEFL iBT Reading section doesn’t test parts of speech directly, understanding whether a word is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb can help you better comprehend unfamiliar words in context.
Practice with Prefixes, Activity 5.1 1 . Study the prefix chart and then write down some examples in the third column.
Examples
Prefix
Meaning
a-, ab-, an-, non-
not; the opposite of
anti-, counter-
against; in the opposite way
co-
together between
inter- mal- mis- poly-
bad; wrong
badly; wrongly
many
post-
after
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