WORD FORMATION

Group 6:
Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang
Nguyễn Tâm Thanh Nhàn
 DERIVATION

MIXED
PREFIXATION SUFFIXATION
AFFIXATION
 PREFIX + BASE PREFIXATION

Prefix Meaning Examples

ab- away, from, apart abnormal, abolish
ante- before antecedent, anterior
auto- self automobile, autograph
bi- ,bis- two, double, twice bicycle, biscuit
circum- around, surrounding circumstance
com-, con- with, together combine, connect
de- away from, off, down depart, decline
dis- negation, reversal disappear, dismiss
e-,ex-, ef- out of, without expel, eject, effect
il-, im-,ir- not, without illegal, irregular, immobile
Prefix Meaning Examples
im-, ir- in, into, within immigrate, irrigate
inter- between, among interfere, interact
mis- wrong, bad misplace
non- not, without nonsense, nonstop
over- over, above, upper oversleep, overweight
pre- before in time, in place prewar, precede
trans- across, over transfer, transmit
tri- of three triangle
un- not, the opposite of unhappy, unfit

under- beneath, below undergraduate

Exercise 1:
Use prefixes to form words with negative meanings.

1) ability inability/disability 6) literate illiterate

2) polite impolite 7) clockwise counterclockwise/

anti counterclockwise
3) edible inedible
8) effective ineffective
4) normal abnormal
9) standard nonstandard
5) to obey disobey

10) resistible irresistible

 SUFFIX+ BASE SUFFIXATION

Verb-forming suffixes

Suffix Meaning Examples

-ize/-ise computerize
-en to make harden, widen, lengthen, shorten
-ate automate, activate, calculate
-ify simplify
 Noun – forming suffixes
Suffix Meaning Examples
-ance state performance
-ence quality of dependence

-er, -or a person who programmer, compiler, biographer,

a thing which accumulator, processor, operator
-ist, -yst a person who analyst, typist
-ian pertaining to electrician
-tion, -ation the act of compilation
-ness condition of readiness, cleanliness, happiness

-ment state, action measurement, requirement

-ion action/state conversion
-ism condition/state magnetism
 Adverb-forming suffixes

Suffix Meaning Examples

electronically, logically, comparably, slowly

-ly in the manner
quickly, automatically, carefully
of
 Adjective-forming suffixes
Suffix Meaning Examples
-al having the quality computational, logical
-ar of circular, rectangular, cellular, regular
-ic magnetic, automatic
-ical electrical
-able comparable
capable of being
-ible divisible
-ous like, full of dangerous, insiduous, miraculous
-ful characterized by helpful, careful
-ish like yellowish
-less without careless, meaningless
PREFIX+ BASE+ SUFFIX MIXED AFFIXATION

Unbeliev(e)able
Prefix Base Suffix

Adjectives: uncomfortable, unavoidable,

inactive,…..

Nouns: disappointment, misinformation,

reformulation,……..
Exercise 2: Each group contains a base and suffixes.
Make each into a word. Complete the table below.

1 -ed, live, -en livened

2 -ing, -ate, termin- terminating

3 -ly, -some, grue gruesomely

4 province, -s, -ism, -al provincialisms

5 -ity, work, -able workability

6 -ly, -tion, -ate, affect affectionately

 Exercise 3: Complete the following sentences
with the correct form.
DEPENDABLE
Ex: You can always rely on Barbara. She is very…….………............
( DEPEND )
DISABILITY
1) He was born blind; but despite this ……………….
he still managed to become one of the top Pop singers of his
generation. ( ABLE )
REASONABLE
2) I think it’s very……………….. of him to expect us to work
overtime every night this week. ( REASON )
APPLICABLE
3)That rule is not……………….….. in this case. ( APPLY )
COMPARATIVELY
4) English is a………………………… easy language for Swedes
to learn. ( COMPARE )
5) The teacher punished the child for…………………
DISOBEDIENCE ( OBEY )
COMPOUNDING
What is COMPOUNDING?
moonlight moon light
Compounding is the joining of
two or more words into a single railway rail way
word.
icy-cold icy cold

stir-fry stir fry

web page web page

look up look up
 Classification
(according to word form)

CLOSED • secondhand, snowman,

FORM notebook, rainbow, etc.

HYPHENATED • six-pack, daughter-in-law,

FORM hard-working, full-size, etc.

• bus stop, post office, high

OPEN FORM
heels, toy factory, etc.
 TYPES OFCOMPOUNDING
Ordinary
Longer
two-word Two-
compound
compound word
s
s verbs
1. Ordinary two-word compounds
Ordinary two-word compounds are those consisting of two
elements only.

Compounds consisting of
simple stems
ORDINARY TWO-WORD
COMPOUNDS

Compounds consisting of
derived stems
 1a. The head is a noun:

Modifier Head Compound

Noun Noun snowman, cupcake, baseball

Adjective Noun grandmother, blackboard, greenhouse

Verb Noun pickpocket, plaything, breakwater

Preposition/
Noun underwater, outdoor, overnight
adverb

Gerund Noun reading-room, hiding-place

Exercise 1: Combine two object names inside the
picture to form a compound.

R A I N F O R E S T
Exercise 1: Combine two object names inside the
picture to form a compound.

F I R E M A N
Exercise 1: Combine two object names inside the
picture to form a compound.

R U N N I N G S H O E S
Exercise 1: Combine two object names inside the
picture to form a compound.

E A R P H O N E
Exercise 1: Combine two object names inside the
picture to form a compound.

S T O P W A T C H
Exercise 1: Combine two object names inside the
picture to form a compound.

on

U N D E R W A T E R
 1b. The head is an adjective:

Modifier Head Compound

Noun Adjective world-famous, snow-white, lifelong

Adjective Adjective red-hot, bitter-sweet

Verb Adj/Adv breakfast, breakdown, stir-crazy

Preposition Adjective overall, over-active, over-ripe

 1c. The head is a verb:

Modifier Head Compound

Noun Verb snowfall, browbeat, sun-bathe

Adjective Verb highlight, clear-cut, whitewash

Verb Verb sleepwalk, freeze-dry, stir-fry

Preposition/
Verb undercut, overflow, download
adverb
2. Compounds with derived stems:

Modifier Head Compound

Adverb V-ing hard-working, long-lasting

Past snow-covered, heart-broken,

Noun
participle hand-made

Past
Adverb well-known, well-done, well-prepared
participle

house-keeper, shoe-maker,
Noun V-er
goal-keeper
Exercise 2: Match components of compound
words to make complete words.

1. Any a. Balls
2. Hand b. Noon
3. Teen c. Thing
4. Eye d. Up
5. Pick e. Fall
6. After f. Age
7. Water g. Writing
 NOTES:
1. There are words consisting of two parts and may be called
compound , but on the other hand, they do not consist of
independent words. In some cases, they have only one morpheme
or only meaningless sound-clusters built most on sound imitation.

Example: hush-hush, wheeler-dealer, boo-hoo,

quack-quack, meow-meow, etc.

2. Ablaut and rhyme combination:

- Ablaut combination: chit-chat (gossip), riff-raff (the

mob), zigzag, ding-dong (said of the sound of the

bell), tip-top (first-rate), etc.

- Rhyme combination: lovey-dovey (darling), hurry-

scurry (great hurry), mumbo-jumbo (fetish), hoity-
toity (snobbish), etc.
Exercise 3: Cross out six words that are not
compound words.

war ship marriage import ding-dong

friendship hush-hush bamboo postpone

zigzag passport nowhere nonstop

post
befriend airport teenage
office
2. two-word verbs:
Two-word verbs are compound verbs obtained by the
adjunction of an adverbial particle or of a preposition to a verb.

Phrasal verbs

TWO-WORD VERBS Prepositional verbs

Phrasal-prepositional
verbs
 Phrasal verbs Prepositional verb
(V + adverbial particle) (V + preposition)

They may be transitive or They are always transitive.

intransitive.

Example: Example:

The plan takes off (intransitive) I’ve got a new CD. Shall we
He takes off his coat (transitive) listen to it? (transitive)
Not: Shall we listen to?
 Phrasal verbs Prepositional verb
(V + adverbial particle) (V + preposition)

The object can come The object is always

before or after the particle immediately after the
if the object is not a preposition.
pronoun.
Example: Example:

He takes his coat off. CORRECT She looked after her father. CORRECT
He takes off his coat. CORRECT She looked her father after. INCORRECT
 pr

Phrasal-prepositional verbs
Phrasal-prepositional verbs contain both adverbial particles
and prepositions.
3. Longer compounds:
Longer compounds are compound words including more than
two words.

Example: man-of-war, forget-me-not,

mother-to-be, father-in-law, ups-and-
downs, get-rich-quick, etc.
 Exercise 4: Chose the best answer.

1. It was the third time in six months that the bank had been held _____ .
A. over B. down C. up D. out

2. He died ____ heart disease.

A. from B. because C. of D. in

3. I explained ____ him what it meant.

A. to B. about C. over D. from

4. Vehicles also account _____ air pollution in the cities.

A. on B. at C. for D. in
 Exercise 4: Chose the best answer.

5. If anything urgent comes _____, you can contact me at this number.

A. across B. by C. up D. round

6. They've _____ a new tower where that old building used to be.
A. pushed up B. put up C. put down D. pushed down

7. I always run _____ of money before the end of the month.

A. out B. back C. up D. down
 Thank you
For
Your attention