One of the most cost-effective investments in learning English may be to figure out affixes. This can double your efficiency in memorizing words, and you can also guess the general meaning of new words when you start reading.
Prefixes change the direction of word meaning
Prefixes are attached before the root, and their main specific role is to change the original meaning of the corresponding word, such as transforming it into a meaning with the opposite representation, or adding a conceptual expression to express time, direction, etc. In most cases, it does not have the influence of changing the part of speech. An existing verb will generally retain the verb part of speech after adding a prefix.
For example, there are several prefixes used to express "no" or "negative". Among them, the most common "un-" can be added to many adjectives, such as changing "happy" (happy) to "unhappy" (unhappy). However, "in-" and its variants "il-", "im-", and "ir-" are chosen according to the first letter of the root, for example, "legal" becomes, after the negation, "illegal".
Practical applications of prefixes
The prefix "dis-" is very active and can express negation, such as adding "dis-" to "like" to form "dislike", which expresses unwillingness; it can also express separation or deprivation, such as adding "appear" to "disappear" to express disapproval.
There are still some prefixes that play a role in indicating time or order. "Post-" means "after…". For example, after adding it to the word "war" (war), it will form a word like "postwar" (postwar). Mastering these prefixes can help you quickly understand the attitude or logical relationship contained in the core of the word.
Suffix determines part of speech
The suffix is located after the root of the word. Its main task is to change the part of speech of the word. A verb or adjective can often become a noun or adverb by adding a specific suffix. This is an extremely efficient aspect of English word formation.
For example, "-tion" or "-sion" can turn a verb into a noun to express related actions or states. It's like "invent" became "invention". "-ment" also has similar functions, such as "develop" (development) transformed into "development" (development).
Suffixes rich in emotional color
In addition to changing the part of speech, some suffixes can add emotional color or characteristics of the corresponding field to the word. "-ful" means "full of something", with a positive connotation. For example, "hope" means "hope", and then it will become "hopeful", which means "full of hope".
The opposite "-less", which means "without…", often has a negative meaning, just like turning "home" into "homeless". In addition, "-ous" usually forms an adjective, indicating "having the nature of…", such as "dangerous" derived from "danger" (danger).
Build vocabulary network
With the help of affixes, you can memorize a "vocabulary family" in a systematic way around a core root. For example, the root word is "act" (meaning action). Add the noun suffix "-or" to become "actor" (actor), add "-ion" to become "action" (action), and add the prefix "re-" (meaning again) in front of it to form "react".
This learning method can break away from memorizing words in isolation and associate new words with known vocabulary to form long-term memory. By understanding the logic of word formation, your vocabulary can grow in a healthier way.
Improve reading and expression skills
When encountering new words during reading, identifying affixes is an effective way to quickly infer the meaning of the word. After seeing words like "unpredictable" and distinguishing among them "un-" (meaning negation, i.e. not), "precede" (meaning previous, leading, before…) and "-able" (having the property of being able to…, that is, having the property of…), you can roughly guess and know that it means "unpredictable". This is a very effective strategy for inferring the meaning of new words during reading.
When expressing, affixes can help you achieve more precise wording. It also means "no", "un -" often means simple negation, "dis -" may have the meaning of reversing the action, and "in -" is more formal. Distinguishing them and using them can make your English expression more delicate and authentic.
In your opinion, which root ending helps you the most when learning English, or which root ending causes you the most confusion?
