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prefixes	suffixes
il-, im-,  ir-	-ance, -ous
pre-, mid-, post-	-ant, -ent
extra-, inter-, sub-, super-, trans-	-al, -ativ, -ive

The prefixes il-, im-, and ir- all mean not.

Using the meanings in the parentheses, complete each sentence with one of the words you just formed.

1. I had to turn in my assignment _____________ because I was sick last night. (not finished)
2. It was ____________ for Jimmy to give me his keys because he can't get into his house without them. (not reasonable)
3. Sue and Joel were _______________ to have a party while there parents were out of town. (lacking a sense of responsibility)
4. I sometimes get ______________ waiting for my ride to school. (a lack of patience)
5. These pants didn't cot much because they are ______________ . (not straight or even)
6. The boys sounded _____________ when they said they were sorry. (not honest)

Using the meanings in parentheses, complete each sentence with one of the words you just formed. One is done for you.

1. The dog howled at the moon at midnight. (middle of the night, 12 o'clock)
2. You must take every _____________ when working with chemicals. (care taken in advance)
3. She plans to do _____________ work in medicine. (a course of study after graduation)
4. The dinosaur was the biggest _____________ animal. (the time before recorded history)
5. While wading, he lost his shoe ______________ . (in the middle of a stream)
6. The country made great progress during the early ______________ years. (after a war)

1. We're planning to ____________ the lilac bush from our front yard into our back yard. (move over from one place and plant in another)
2. The book was translated and became an _____________ best seller. (between or among nations)
3. Few animals can survive the _______________ temperatures in Antarctica. (below zero)
4. The _______________ dove deep to avoid enemy fire. (a sailing vessel that can operate beneath the water)
5. He made an ____________ effort to win the race. (beyond the ordinary)
6. The empty chair moved, apparently guided by some _______________ force. (occurring outside the known forces of nature)

Suffixes are often used to change a word to a different part of speech, such as from verb to a noun or from a noun to an adjective. the suffix -ance means "the condition or state of being"; -ous means "characterized by."

Add one of the suffixes to the word in parentheses to form a new word that makes sense in the sentence. One is done for you.

1. Mary was very (nerve) nervous the night before she starred in the class play.
2. The foolish young man spent all of his (inherit) ____________ on a car.
3. The girl's (resemble) ______________ to her mother is amazing.
4. A (mystery) ______________ woman in black entered the room but said nothing.
5. Tonight is the final (perform) _______________ of the opera.
6. Jimmy told the most (outrage) _______________ story about why he didn't have his homework.
7. The Grand Canyon is a (marvel) ________________ sight.
8. The marriage of Joyce and Ted was a (joy) _____________ occasion.
9. I am going to use my (allow) ________________ to buy a Mother's Day gift.
10. The colonists who first settled in America were very (courage) ______________ people.

Combine each root word and suffix to make a new word. (When a word ends in silent e, keep the e before adding a suffix beginning with a consonant. Drop the e before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel.)
 

Using the meanings in the parentheses, complete each sentence with one of the words you just formed. One is done for you.

1. To be a good scientist you must be very observant. (pay careful attention)
2. Her perfume had a strong but very _____________ smell. (pleasing)
3. Because the bridge was out, we had to find a ______________ route home. (not the same)
4. The game show ____________ jumped up and down when she won the grand prize. (person who competes in a contest)
5. Next week we will elect a new student council ____________ . (highest officer)

The suffix -al means of, like, or suitable for; -ative means having the nature of or relating to; -ive means have or tend to be.

Combine each root word and suffix to form a new word. Remember that the spelling of the root word sometimes changes when a suffix is added. the first one is done for you.
 
 

Using the meanings in the parentheses, complete each sentence with one of the words you just formed.

• Because of his acting ability, Michael was the _____________ choice to have the lead part in the school play. (decided with reasoning)
• Our history teacher is a rather _____________ man, who likes to tell jokes and stories. (fond of talking)
• That book has such an _____________ plot! (showing imagination)
• Monica thought the dress in the store window was very _____________ . (pleasing, something that attracts)
• The high school basketball team was _____________ in its Friday night game, beating their rivals by thirty points. (making an impression on the mind or emotions)