English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Identify base words, prefixes, and suffixes
Identify base words, prefixes, and suffixes
Tutorial Preview
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define the terms base word, prefix, and suffix.
Identify the prefix in a given word.
Identify the suffix in a given word.
Isolate the base word after removing prefixes and suffixes.
Explain how adding a prefix or suffix changes a word's meaning.
Construct a new word by adding a common prefix or suffix to a base word.
Have you ever thought of words as being built like LEGOs? 🧱 You can take them apart and put them together to make something new!
In this lesson, we'll become word detectives! We will learn about the building blocks of words: base words, prefixes, and suffixes. Knowing these parts will help you unlock the meaning of thousands of new words and make you a super reader.
Real-World Applications
Figuring out long, tricky words in sc...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Base WordA complete word that can stand on its own. It's the main part of a word that gives it its primary meaning.In the word 'unhappy', the base word is 'happy'.
PrefixA word part added to the beginning of a base word. It changes the meaning of the base word.The prefix 'un-' means 'not'. Adding it to 'happy' makes 'unhappy', which means 'not happy'.
SuffixA word part added to the end of a base word. It can change the word's meaning or its job in a sentence (like changing it from an action to a person).The suffix '-er' means 'a person who does'. Adding it to 'teach' makes 'teacher', which means 'a person who teaches'.
AffixThe official na...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Word-Building Formula
Prefix + Base Word + Suffix = New Word
Use this formula to take words apart or build new ones. Remember, not all words have all three parts; some may only have a base word and a prefix, or a base word and a suffix.
Prefixes Change Meaning
Prefixes are added to the front of a word and change its meaning. For example, 'pre-' means 'before', and 'mis-' means 'wrong'.
When you see a prefix, think about what it means. This gives you a clue to the whole word's meaning. 'Preheat' means to heat before. 'Misunderstand' means to understand wrongly.
Suffixes Change Word Type
Suffixes are added to the end and often change the word's function. For example, '-ful' can make a nou...
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Challenging
The prefix 're-' means 'again' and the suffix '-able' means 'can be done'. Which word means 'cannot be used again'?
A.Misusable
B.Unreusable
C.Reuseful
D.Disreusable
Challenging
A student thinks 're' is the prefix in the word 'real'. Based on the 'Fake' Prefix rule, why is this incorrect?
A.Because 're' always means 'again', and 'real' has nothing to do with 'again'.
B.Because the part left over, 'al', is not a complete base word.
C.Because 'real' is an adjective, and prefixes only go on verbs.
D.Because the word 'real' is too short to have a prefix.
Challenging
Analyze the word 'unbelievably'. How do the prefix and suffixes change the base word 'believe'?
A.They only make the word longer without changing the meaning.
B.'un-' makes it mean 'not', '-able' makes it an adjective, and '-ly' makes it an adverb.
C.'un-' means 'again', and '-ably' means 'a person who does'.
D.'un-' and '-able' cancel each other out, and '-ly' makes it mean 'full of'.
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