STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF WORDS

English I
Another way to get the meaning of a word is looking at its part. During this
week, you will look at each part that compounds the word.

Affixes and roots

Adding affixes to existing words (the base or root) to form new words is
common in academic English.
A root is the portion of a word that carries the principle bit of meaning of
the words in which it functions
An affix is a piece of word that is joined before or after a root. So affixes
can be prefixes and suffixes. They do not have any meaning standing alone,
but when they are attached to other words, the meaning of those words
change.
A prefix is an affix that is joined before a root or stem.
They are added to the front of the base.

Examples:
Word prefix new word
Like dis dislike
Work over overwork
Able un unable
Verbs
You can add prefixes to some verbs and create a verb with a different meaning.

Prefix + verb = verb

Prefix Meaning Examples

re- again or back restructure

dis- reverses the meaning disappear

over- too much overbook

un- reverses the meaning unbend

mis- badly or wrongly mislead

Nouns
The most common prefixes used to form new nouns in academic English are: co- and sub-.

Prefix + noun= noun

Prefix Meaning Examples

anti- Against anticlimax

auto- Self autobiography

bi- Two bilingualism

co- Joint co-founder

in- Inside inpatient

Adjectives
Adjectives can be formed from other adjectives, especially by the negative prefixes.

Negative + adjective = adjective

Prefix Examples

un- unfortunate

im-/in-/ir-/il- immature

non- non-fiction

dis- disloyal
Suffixes are added to the end of the base or root.

Examples:
Word suffix new word
active ate activate
Work er worker
comfort able comfortable
Verbs
Suffixes can be used to form verbs with the meaning "cause to be".

Suffix Example

-ize stabilize

-ate differentiate

-fy classify

-en awaken
Nouns
Suffix added to a verb (V), noun (N) or adjective (A) = noun

Suffix Meaning Examples

-tion action/instance of
alteration
-sion V-ing
person who V-s
-er something used advertiser
for V-ing
action/instance of
-ment development
V-ing
 Suffix Meaning Examples

person concerned
-er astronomer,
with N

-ism doctrine of N Marxism,

-ship state of being N friendship,

-age collection of N baggage

 Suffix Meaning Examples

state or quality
-ity ability
of being A

state or quality
-ness darkness
of being A

state or quality
-cy urgency
of being A
Adjectives
Many adjectives are formed from a base of a different class with a suffix (e.g. -
less, -ous). The most common suffixes are -al, -ent, -ive, -ous, -ful, -less.
Suffix added to verbs or nouns = adjective

Suffix Example
-al central, political, national, optional, professional
-ent different, dependent, excellent
-ive attractive, effective, imaginative, repetitive
-ous continuous, dangerous, famous
-ful beautiful, peaceful, careful
-less endless, homeless, careless, thoughtless
-able drinkable, countable, avoidable,
Mixed
Base with both prefix and suffix
Adjectives:
Uncomfortable, unavoidable, unimaginative, inactive, semi-circular
Nouns:
Disappointment, misinformation, reformulation
Thank you