Vocabulary: Prefixes, Suffixes and Compound Words for JSS 1

Use of Prefixes, Suffixes and Compounds

Performance Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain prefixes and suffixes with examples;
2. form words with prefixes and suffixes;
3. explain the meaning of compound words;
4. form compound words;
5. identify compound words in texts.

Understanding Prefixes

A prefix is a letter or a group of letters added to the beginning of a base word to change its meaning or form a new word.

A base word, also known as a root word, is a simple word that can stand on its own and has a clear meaning. When a prefix is attached to the beginning of a base word, it modifies the original meaning, often creating an opposite or indicating a repetition of an action.

Common prefixes used in English include:

1. un-: This prefix means “not” or “the opposite of”.
2. re-: This prefix means “again” or “back”.
3. de-: This prefix means “to remove”, “reduce” or “do the opposite of”.

The Prefix “un-“

When the prefix “un-” is added to an adjective or a verb, it reverses the meaning of the base word.

Examples of words with the prefix un- include:

1. Unhappy: Made from the prefix “un-” and the base word “happy”. It means not happy or sad.
2. Unkind: Made from the prefix “un-” and the base word “kind”. It means not kind or cruel.
3. Unwell: Made from the prefix “un-” and the base word “well”. It means not well or sick.
4. Untie: Made from the prefix “un-” and the base word “tie”. It means to undo a knot.

The Prefix “re-“

The prefix “re-” is added to verbs to show that an action is being performed for a second time or repeated.

Examples of words with the prefix re- include:

1. Rewrite: Made from the prefix “re-” and the base word “write”. It means to write something again.
2. Replay: Made from the prefix “re-” and the base word “play”. It means to play a game or a video again.
3. Rebuild: Made from the prefix “re-” and the base word “build”. It means to build something again after it has been damaged.
4. Return: Made from the prefix “re-” and the base word “turn”. It means to come or go back to a place.

The Prefix “de-“

The prefix “de-” is often used to show a reversal, a removal, or a reduction of something.

Examples of words with the prefix de- include:

1. Decode: Made from the prefix “de-” and the base word “code”. It means to translate a coded message into ordinary language.
2. Deforest: Made from the prefix “de-” and the base word “forest”. It means to clear or remove trees from an area.
3. Devalue: Made from the prefix “de-” and the base word “value”. It means to reduce the worth or value of something.
4. Dehydrate: Made from the prefix “de-” and the base word “hydrate”. It means to lose or remove water from the body or an object.

Understanding Suffixes

A suffix is a letter or a group of letters added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or form a new word.

While prefixes are added to the beginning of words, suffixes are added to the end. Adding a suffix often changes the part of speech of the word, such as turning a noun into an adjective, or an adjective into a noun.

Common suffixes used in English include:

1. -ful: This suffix means “full of” or “having the qualities of”.
2. -less: This suffix means “without” or “lacking”.
3. -ness: This suffix means “the state, quality, or condition of being”.

The Suffix “-ful”

Adding “-ful” to a noun often turns it into an adjective that describes someone or something that has a lot of that quality.

Examples of words with the suffix -ful include:

1. Hopeful: Made from the base word “hope” and the suffix “-ful”. It describes someone who is full of hope.
2. Careful: Made from the base word “care” and the suffix “-ful”. It describes someone who takes great care in what they do.
3. Beautiful: Made from the base word “beauty” and the suffix “-ful”. It describes something full of beauty. Note that the “y” in beauty changes to “i” before adding the suffix.
4. Painful: Made from the base word “pain” and the suffix “-ful”. It describes something that causes a lot of pain.

The Suffix “-less”

Adding “-less” to a noun turns it into an adjective that describes the absence of that quality. It is the opposite of “-ful”.

Examples of words with the suffix -less include:

1. Helpless: Made from the base word “help” and the suffix “-less”. It describes someone who is without help or unable to act without assistance.
2. Useless: Made from the base word “use” and the suffix “-less”. It describes something that has no use or value.
3. Fearless: Made from the base word “fear” and the suffix “-less”. It describes someone who is without fear or very brave.
4. Careless: Made from the base word “care” and the suffix “-less”. It describes someone who acts without care or attention.

The Suffix “-ness”

Adding “-ness” to an adjective turns it into a noun that represents a state of being or a quality.

Examples of words with the suffix -ness include:

1. Happiness: Made from the base word “happy” and the suffix “-ness”. It means the state of being happy. Note that the “y” in happy changes to “i” before adding the suffix.
2. Darkness: Made from the base word “dark” and the suffix “-ness”. It means the state of being dark or without light.
3. Kindness: Made from the base word “kind” and the suffix “-ness”. It means the quality of being kind to others.
4. Weakness: Made from the base word “weak” and the suffix “-ness”. It means the state of lacking strength.

Understanding Compound Words

A compound word is a word made up of two or more base words joined together to create a new word with a new meaning.

Compound words are formed by combining existing words. The meaning of the compound word is often related to the meanings of the individual words, but it functions as a single unit of meaning.

The three main types of compound words are:

1. Closed Compound Words: These are written as a single word without spaces or hyphens.
2. Hyphenated Compound Words: These are joined together by one or more hyphens.
3. Open Compound Words: These are written as separate words with a space between them, but they are spoken and understood as a single concept.

Closed Compound Words

Closed compound words are formed when two words are merged completely into one spelling.

Examples of closed compound words include:

1. Blackboard: Formed by joining “black” and “board”.
2. Teapot: Formed by joining “tea” and “pot”.
3. Classroom: Formed by joining “class” and “room”.
4. Lifelong: Formed by joining “life” and “long”.

Hyphenated Compound Words

Hyphenated compound words use a small horizontal line called a hyphen to connect the words.

Examples of hyphenated compound words include:

1. Ice-cream: Formed by joining “ice” and “cream” with a hyphen.
2. Age-old: Formed by joining “age” and “old” with a hyphen.
3. Sister-in-law: Formed by joining “sister”, “in”, and “law” with hyphens.

Open Compound Words

Open compound words maintain a space between the words, but they must be read together to understand the specific meaning.

Examples of open compound words include:

1. Swimming pool: A pool designed for swimming.
2. Dining room: A room used for eating meals.
3. Market square: An open area in a town where a market is held.
4. Night flight: A flight that takes place during the night.
5. Return ticket: A ticket that allows a passenger to travel to a destination and back.
6. Return journey: The trip back to the starting point.
7. Return flight: The flight back to the starting point.

Meanings of Specific Compound Words

The meanings of the compound words from the curriculum are explained below:

1. Blackboard: A large, dark board used in a classroom for writing on with chalk.
2. Teapot: A container with a spout, handle, and lid, used for brewing and pouring tea.
3. Classroom: A room in a school where lessons are taught to students.
4. Lifelong: Lasting or continuing through a person’s entire life.
5. Ice-cream: A sweet, frozen food made from milk fat, sugar, and flavourings.
6. Age-old: Having existed for a very long time; ancient.
7. Sister-in-law: The sister of a person’s husband or wife, or the wife of a person’s sibling.
8. Swimming pool: An artificial pool filled with water, designed for people to swim in.
9. Dining room: A room in a house, school, or hotel where meals are eaten.
10. Market square: An open public area in a town or village where traders set up stalls to sell goods.
11. Night flight: A journey made by flying in an aircraft during the night hours.
12. Return ticket: A ticket that allows a traveler to go to a destination and return to the starting point.
13. Return journey: The trip back to the place where a travel or expedition started.
14. Return flight: The specific flight that carries a passenger back to their original departure airport.

Forming and Identifying Words in Texts

Developing the skill to form and identify prefixes, suffixes, and compound words helps to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary. When reading a passage, look closely at the structure of unfamiliar words to see if they are made of smaller, familiar parts.

The following steps should be followed to identify compound words in a text:

1. Scan the sentences for words that look long or are joined by hyphens.
2. Check if the word can be split into two separate, independent words (such as “class” and “room”).
3. Determine if the two words function together to represent a single idea or object.

Reading Passage

The passage below contains several prefixes, suffixes and compound words:

The morning was bright and the market square was already filled with people. Mrs. Okafor took a return journey from her village to buy some fresh items. She walked past the local school, where a teacher was writing on a clean blackboard in the classroom. The children looked happy and hopeful as they prepared for their lessons. Mrs. Okafor bought some sweet ice-cream for her sister-in-law and a beautiful teapot for her mother. Although the walk was long, her lifelong love for the market made the trip feel short and pleasant.

Analysis of the Passage

The table below shows the identified words from the passage:

Evaluation Exercises

Answer the following questions to test understanding of the topic:

1. Explain the difference between a prefix and a suffix.
2. Give two examples of words formed using the prefix un-.
3. Give two examples of words formed using the prefix re-.
4. Give two examples of words formed using the prefix de-.
5. Form new words by adding the suffix -ful, -less, or -ness to the following base words:
   1. Care
   2. Fear
   3. Happy
   4. Help
6. Explain the meaning of a compound word.
7. Identify the type of compound word (closed, hyphenated, or open) for each of the following:
   1. Dining room
   2. Sister-in-law
   3. Teapot
   4. Swimming pool
8. Form compound words using the pairs of words below:
   1. Class + Room
   2. Ice + Cream
   3. Black + Board
   4. Life + Long
9. Read the sentence below and identify all the compound words:

   “The pilot prepared for the night flight while the passenger showed her return ticket at the gate.”

10. Write a short sentence using the compound word market square.