English Vocabulary in Use Advanced » Unit 86: Prefixes: creating new meanings

Word List
  • commiserate
  • con-
  • condolence
  • congeal
  • contaminate
  • converse
  • e-
  • e-cigarette
  • eco-
  • eco-city
  • eco-friendly
  • e-commerce
  • eco-warrior
  • eject
  • emit
  • e-reader
  • il-
  • im-
  • imperfect
  • in-
  • inability
  • inaccuracy
  • inappropriate
  • incapable
  • ir-
  • mis-
  • misbehave
  • misuse
  • out-
  • outnumber
  • outweigh
  • over-
  • overhang
  • overnight
  • overpriced
  • overrated
  • overshadow
  • overstep the mark
  • pro-
  • procrastinate
  • procreate
  • proliferate
  • promote
  • re-
  • reconsider
  • redevelop
  • rethink
  • under-
  • underestimate
  • underfoot
  • underhand
  • underlying
  • undermine
  • understaffed
  • up-
  • upgrade
  • upturn
  • com-
Exercises

86.1 ‣ Choose a word from A opposite to complete each sentence.

  1. They are planning to _____ the area around the old bus station.
  2. It is _____ to use informal language in a formal essay.
  3. The yes votes _____ the no votes by two to one.
  4. Ivan’s English is excellent but he still tends to _____ idioms occasionally.
  5. We all hope you will _____ your decision to turn down our offer of a job.
  6. I’m afraid I only have an _____ understanding of the situation myself.
  7. These pupils do not usually _____ in class.
  8. An _____ to drive is a serious problem for anyone in this line of business.
  9. Lance seems to be _____ of understanding even the simplest instructions.
  10. Paula lost marks in her science test because of the _____ of her measurements.
  11. More and more businesses use the internet in order to sell their products, so _____ is becoming more and more important to the economy.
  12. More farmers are now choosing to use _____ fertilisers that don’t harm the environment or wildlife.

86.2 ‣ Decide which of the meanings of over- and under- are most obvious in the words in bold. Use the labels (a), (b) or (c), as in B opposite. Circle the correct letter. Use a dictionary if necessary.

  1. I really think she overstated her case, and lost a lot of sympathy.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  2. The plane’s undercarriage failed to open and it crashed.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  3. A detailed list of awards is given overleaf.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  4. He has a very overbearing personality.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  5. The project was underfunded from the outset.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  6. During the cruise, a child fell overboard and drowned.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  7. Priya’s contribution to the project has sometimes been underrated.
    • a
    • b
    • c
  8. Phil always gets an underling to do the tasks he doesn’t enjoy.
    • a
    • b
    • c

86.3 ‣ Rewrite these sentences using words from the opposite page.

  1. There are more women than men on my course.
  2. The hotel gave me a luxury room instead of the ordinary one I’d booked.
    _____
  3. Would you like to spend the night there or come back the same day?
    _____
  4. The problem that lies under the surface is a very serious one.
    _____
  5. For me, the advantages of air travel are more significant than the disadvantages.
    _____
  6. I think this hotel charges too much.
    _____
  7. It’s slippery walking just here. Be careful.
    _____
  8. The company experienced a rise in popularity after it changed its name.
    _____
  9. I felt that what she said was critical of my position and weakened it somewhat.
    _____
  10. It would be a mistake to think Frances was less intelligent than she really is.
    _____

86.4 ‣ Match these definitions to a word in C opposite. Use a dictionary if necessary.

  1. to keep delaying something that must be done _____
  2. to make something poisonous or less pure _____
  3. to throw out with force _____
  4. suddenly to increase a lot in number _____
  5. to sympathise with someone’s unhappiness _____
  6. to change from a liquid or soft state to a solid or hard state _____
  7. to produce young (formal) _____
  8. to chat (formal) _____
  9. to send out (a beam, noise, smell or gas) _____
  10. to encourage people to buy or use something _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Common prefixes

in- (and its variations im-, il-, ir-) can make a word negative, as in inappropriate, incapable, inaccuracy, inability and imperfect.

mis- means wrongly or badly, e.g. misbehave and misuse. [use in the wrong way or for the wrong purpose]

out- suggests being greater or better than something, e.g. outnumber [to be larger in number than another group] and outweigh. [be greater or more important than something else]

re- has the meaning of ‘do again’ as in reconsider [think again about a decision or opinion], redevelop and rethink. [change what you think about something or what you plan to do]

e- has the meaning of ‘electronic’ as in e-commerce [buying and selling goods online], e-reader [an electronic device for reading books] and e-cigarettes. [cigarettes that use water vapour rather than tobacco]

eco- has the meaning of ‘good for the environment’, as in eco-friendly cleaning products, an eco-city [using energy efficiently and producing very little pollution] and an eco-warrior. [an informal word for someone who campaigns to protect the environment]

B ‣ Preposition-based prefixes

over- may indicate (a) an excess of something, (b) being above something, or (c) going across something.
(a) excessThat film was overrated in my view. [people said it was better than it really was] It was a bad restaurant, with an overpriced menu. [too high prices]
(b) aboveSeveral of our neighbour’s large trees overhang our garden. [their branches go over our garden]
Our garden is overshadowed by the block of flats next door. [the flats cast a shadow over our garden]
She always felt overshadowed by her older, more successful, sister. [metaphorical use, felt less important than]
(c) acrossHe overstepped the mark when he said that. [crossed a barrier into offensive/ unacceptable behaviour]
Will you be staying overnight? [cross from one day to the next]
under- may indicate (a) less than the desired amount, (b) something below another thing, or (c) some kind of negative behaviour.
(a) lessDon’t underestimate the time it will take. [think it will be less than it really is]
The company is seriously understaffed. [lacking staff]
(b) belowIt’s quite wet underfoot. Did it rain last night? [on the ground, beneath your feet]
The underlying question is a very difficult one. [the deeper question]
(c) negativeI wish you would not undermine everything I do. [attack, weaken]
He did it in a very underhand way. [secretly and possibly dishonestly]
up- can suggest a change of some kind, often positive.
The airline upgraded me to business class. [changed my ticket to a better class]
There has been an upturn in the economy. [change for the better]
C ‣ Less frequent prefixes

con-/com- often suggests mixing things together (often in verbs of communication).
converse    commiserate    condolences    congeal    contaminate

pro- can often suggest pushing something forward or increasing it.
promote    proliferate    procrastinate    procreate

e- can give the idea of something coming out of something.
They were ejected from the restaurant for bad behaviour. [thrown out; formal]
The machine emitted a loud noise and then stopped working. [gave out; formal]

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