English Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Verbs

Common English Prefixes

General Prefixes: re- (send, start, boot); pre- (view, dict, historic); post- (war, accident); en- (sure, courage, slave); multi- (colored, lingual); anti- (terrorist, hero); bi- (sexual, monthly, annual); uni- (form, fy); co- (author, education); sub- (way, marine); inter- (net, national); ex- (member, president); mis- (understand, behave, read).

Opposite and Negative Prefixes

un- (happy, stoppable, tidy, lucky, important, able); dis- (organized, appear, honest, agree); ir- (responsible, regular, reparable); in- (decisive, correct, capable); il- (logical, legal); im- (possible, pregnable); de- (forestation, frost).

Size and Degree Prefixes

super- (natural, human, market); over- (load, sleep, dose); macro- (concert, economics, biotics); micro- (phone, wave, chip); mini- (skirt, cab, golf, bar); hyper- (tension, active).

Essential English Suffixes

-ify (terrify, simplify, identify, satisfy, verify, electrify); -en (sadden, loosen, widen, shorten, broaden, lengthen, threaten); -ise / -ize (organise, realize, criticize, legalise, modernize, symbolise); -ity (curiosity, electricity, similarity, regularity); -acy (accuracy, intimacy, privacy); -ation (justification, identification, simplification); -ician (politician, magician, technician); -er (driver, employer, teenager); -ive (abusive, attractive); -ment (arrangement, argument); -ee (employee, addressee); -ness (happiness, goodness); -dom (freedom, boredom); -ist (pianist, novelist, typist); -ing (painting, building).

Adjective Suffixes

-ese (Japanese, Portuguese); -able / -ible (readable, legible); -al (professional, criminal); -ful (beautiful, colourful); -ish (selfish, foolish); -less (wireless, hopeless); -ous (heterogeneous, delicious, curious).

Verb Patterns: Infinitives and Gerunds

Verbs Followed by the Infinitive

Afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, be able to, choose, decide, demand, deserve, expect, help, have to, hope, intend, learn, manage, need, offer, plan, prepare, promise, refuse, seem, threaten, want, wish, would + Noun + to infinitive.

Verbs Followed by the Gerund

Admit, advise, avoid, be used to, can’t help, can’t stand, consider, deny, discuss, dislike, don’t mind, enjoy, finish, imagine, postpone, keep, look forward to, miss, suggest; prepositions + -ing.

Sentence Connectors and Linkers

Sentence Starters: In spite of, as a result of, although, despite, both, neither.

Used After Punctuation: However, moreover, nevertheless.