English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate » Unit 70: Prefixes: changing meaning

Word List
  • appear [become visible]
  • correct adj
  • director (of a company)
  • disagree
  • disappear
  • dishonest
  • get dressed
  • get undressed
  • honest
  • ill
  • illegal
  • incorrect
  • irregular
  • legal
  • lock v
  • mishear
  • misunderstand
  • overcharge
  • pack
  • rewrite
  • unable
  • uncomfortable
  • unfair
  • unlikely
  • unlock
  • unlucky
  • unpack
Exercises

70.1 ‣ Write the opposite.

  1. happy
  2. _____able
  3. _____correct
  4. _____usual
  5. _____possible
  6. _____comfortable
  7. _____agree
  8. _____necessary
  9. _____regular
  10. _____honest
  11. _____fair
  12. _____lucky

70.2 ‣ Which sentence on the right logically follow each sentence on the left.

  1. She arrived home.
  2. Her essay was terrible. _____
  3. She decided to go to bed. _____
  4. He called her name. _____
  5. She’s not here now. _____
  6. He thought he was right. _____
  7. She got to the hotel. _____
  8. After I paid, I looked at the price. _____
  1. a) She unpacked her suitcase.
  2. b) She unlocked the front door.
  3. c) She has disappeared.
  4. d) She had overcharged me.
  5. e) She had to rewrite it.
  6. f) She misheard it.
  7. g) She disagreed.
  8. h) She got undressed.

70.3 ‣ Complete the dialogues so that B agrees with A using different words. You only need one word for each gap.

  1. A: Adera is a strange name.
    B: Yes, very .
  2. A: It’s against the law, isn’t it?
    B: Oh yes, it’s _____.
  3. A: You mean he took off all his clothes!
    B: Yes, he got completely _____.
  4. A: He probably won’t get back in time for the meeting.
    B: I agree. It’s very _____.
  5. A: A lot of the answers were wrong.
    B: Yes, I’m afraid they were nearly all _____.
  6. A: He doesn’t look in very good condition; he’s a bit overweight.
    B: I know. He looks terribly _____.
  7. A: Nobody thought this would happen.
    B: Yes, it was completely _____.
  8. A: They never tell the truth.
    B: I know. They’re both _____.
  9. A: His business always seems to lose money, and it’s not his fault.
    B: I know. He’s very _____.
  10. A: Ann always gives more attention to Sarah than she does to Lucas.
    B: Yes, it’s very _____ on poor Lucas.

70.4 ‣ These words all appear in other units of the book. Do you know how to form the opposites?

  1. pleasant
  2. kind _____
  3. patient (adj) _____
  4. suitable _____
  5. like (v) _____
  6. do up _____
  7. fashionable _____
  8. reliable _____
  9. friendly _____
  10. tidy _____
  11. ability _____
  12. sociable _____
Answer Key
A ‣ With adjectives

Prefixes, e.g. un-, dis-, im-, can be added to some adjectives to give the opposite meaning.

happyunhappy
possibleimpossible
regularirregular
honest [tells the truth]dishonest
correct [right✓]incorrect
legal [allowed by law]illegal

Dan used all the milk but said he didn’t; he’s very dishonest.

I got eight answers right, but two were incorrect.

It’s illegal in the UK to ride a motorbike without a helmet.

B ‣ un-

Of the prefixes above, un- is the most common, and appears in a number of adjectives.

This chair is incredibly uncomfortable.

It was unnecessary for them to wait for us.

Xerxes – that’s a very unusual name. [different, not common or ordinary]

I won the game; it was completely unexpected. [I didn’t think I was going to win]

Marsha’s hat is unbelievable. [surprising because it is either very good or very bad]

We tried to open the door, but we were unable to get in. [could not]

I need to do more exercise; I’m very unfit. [not healthy and not in good condition]

Declan played well, and I thought he was unlucky to lose.

They’re unlikely to get here before midday. [They probably won’t get here before midday.]

The test was unfair because some of the students had more time to do it than others. [If something is unfair, it does not treat people equally.]

Language help

Adding a negative prefix does not usually change the pronunciation; the stress stays the same.

She was un'lucky. It’s unbe'lievable. (NOT She was 'unlucky. It was 'unbelievable.)

C ‣ With verbs

With some verbs, these prefixes can have particular meanings.

dis- [the opposite of something]I disagree with the others. [don’t agree / have the same opinion]
The plane appeared in the sky, then it disappeared behind a cloud.
un- [the opposite of an action]I couldn’t unlock the door this morning. [open the door using a key; opp lock]
We had to get undressed in the cold. [take off our clothes; opp get dressed]
I unpacked the bags. [took everything out of the bags; opp pack]
over- [too much]The bank overcharged me. [asked me to pay too much money]
mis- [do something incorrectly]I misunderstood what he said; I’m afraid my English isn’t very good.
I misheard her. I thought she said Rita, not Brita.
re- [again]The teacher has asked me to rewrite my essay.

Favorite Books
English Vocabulary in Use Elementary

The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for elementary level (A2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 60 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.

Read more
English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate

The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for Upper-intermediate level (B2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with over 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.

Read more
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for advanced level (C1 to C2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with over 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.

Read more
Table of Contents