Negative Prefixes

NEGATIVE PREFIXES

Common negative prefixes in English are un-, im-, in-, il-, and ir-, and dis-. Some of these prefixes are only attached to a noun or an adjective while some are only attached to a verb. It is not possible to predict whether the negative prefix un-, in-, or dis- is used with a particular word.

NOTE: "In-" is a prefix from Latin, so it is usually seen when the root is from Latin. While native English roots tend to be monosyllabic, Latin roots tend to be polysyllabic. "In-"changes to "im-" before "m", "p", and "b". It changes to "il-" before "l" and to "ir-" before "r".

articulate → inarticulate
polite → impolite
possible → impossible
modest → immodest
legal → illegal
reverent → irreverent
regular → irregular
sanity → insanity

A. Write the negative form of these words by adding a negative prefix: "un-", "dis-", "ir-", "il-", "in-", or "im-".

1 comfortable ………………………………….

2 patient………………………………….

3 honest ………………………………….

4 lucky ………………………………….

5 formal ………………………………….

6 possible ………………………………….

7 popular ………………………………….

8 lock ………………………………….

9 appear ………………………………….

10 agree ………………………………….

11 legal ………………………………….

12 polite ………………………………….

13 like ………………………………….

14 logical ………………………………….

15 convenient ………………………………….

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B. Add negative prefixes to form the OPPOSITE of each of the adjectives below.

acceptable, accurate, adequate, agreeable, approachable, appropriate, bearable, compatible, complete, conscious, convenient, credible, decisive, desirable, discreet, excusable, experienced, faithful, grateful, healthy, helpful, hospitable, legal, legible, legitimate, literate, logical, mature, moral, obedient, organised, patient, perfect, personal, polite, probable, readable, regular, responsible, respectful, sane, satisfactory, satisfied, sociable, sufficient, visible, willing

Fill in negative prefixes to form the OPPOSITE of each of the adjectives below. Note - although the adjective satisfied has also another opposite, I want you to master the more frequent one so I did not include the other possibility.
dis il im in ir un acceptable, dis il im in ir un accurate, dis il im in ir un adequate, dis il im in ir un agreeable, dis il im in ir un approachable, dis il im in ir un appropriate, dis il im in ir un bearable, dis il im in ir un compatible, dis il im in ir un complete, dis il im in ir un conscious, dis il im in ir un contented, dis il im in ir un convenient, dis il im in ir un credible, dis il im in ir un decisive, dis il im in ir un desirable, dis il im in ir un discreet, dis il im in ir un excusable, dis il im in ir un experienced, dis il im in ir un faithful, dis il im in ir un flexible, dis il im in ir un frequent, dis il im in ir un grateful, dis il im in ir un healthy, dis il im in ir un helpful, dis il im in ir un hospitable, dis il im in ir un legal, dis il im in ir un legible, dis il im in ir un legitimate, dis il im in ir un literate, dis il im in ir un logical, dis il im in ir un mature, dis il im in ir un moral, dis il im in ir un mortal, dis il im in ir un obedient, dis il im in ir un organised, dis il im in ir un passive, dis il im in ir un patient, dis il im in ir un perfect, dis il im in ir un personal, dis il im in ir un polite, dis il im in ir un probable, dis il im in ir un readable, dis il im in ir un regular, dis il im in ir un resolute, dis il im in ir un responsible, dis il im in ir un respectful, dis il im in ir un sane, dis il im in ir un satisfactory, dis il im in ir un satisfied, dis il im in ir un sociable, dis il im in ir un sufficient, dis il im in ir un variable, dis il im in ir un visible, dis il im in ir un willing Bottom of Form