Incredible Negative Prefixes

Common negative prefixes are -un, -im, -ir, -in, -il, -dis and -mis. The majority use -un. We use them to express "not".

Let's look at some examples:

We usually use -un mostly with adjectives, adverbs and a few nouns.

eg. He has an unforgetable face. I'd recognise him anywhere.

Some verbs use -un to mean "to do the reverse of"

eg. I undressed and went straight to bed.

Can you guess the other -un words?

1. He is un________. You arrange to meet him at a certain time and he either turns up late or cancels at the last moment.
2. What he did was un___________. I don't care if he says sorry. I never want to see or speak to him again.
3. He is in an un________ position. He has to make such an important decision. Who would want to be him right now?
4. Un__________ has reached a record 4.5 million. The government must do something to reverse this shameful statistic.
5. I can't stand un_________. It drives me crazy when my flatmate leaves things lying around the house and I have to pick it all up.
6. The children excitedly un_______ all their Christmas presents.

It is usually adjectives that have the following prefixes:

il + l

im +  m / p

ir + r

in + other consonants

Can you guess the following -ill,  -imm, -imp, -irr, -in words?

1. I can't read your handwriting. It is i________.
2. He never says thanks if you do anything for him. He is so i_______.
3. Don't be so i_________. You will have to learn to accept other points of views and other ways of doing things.
4. Janet is i___________. We will never find another secretary as good as her.
5. I wish you wouldn't be so i_______. It's about time you grew up.
6. I________ is a huge problem in many parts of the world. Children don't go to school to learn to read and write. 

There are many verbs, adjectives and nouns that use the -dis prefix, with the meaning "the opposite of" or "not".

e.g. Where did you disappear to last night? One moment you were there, the next you were gone. (the opposite of appear)
e.g. I wouldn't trust her if I were you. She's so dishonest. (not honest)

There are some others with the -mis prefix, which mean "to do wrongly or badly".

e.g. I misheard him when he was giving us all the information last week. I understood that exam was tomorrow, not today.

Can you guess the -mis or -dis words in the following sentences?

1. Don't ________ me. I did not use these words.
2. I think every street in my neighbourhood has a parking space for the ________.
3. I don't want to __________ you from doing the exam but it is very difficult and I don't know if you are ready.
4. I'm afraid there's been a terrible ________________. I asked for a double room with a sea-view. I can only see a brick wall from my window.
5. I wish the children would stop ___________. They never do as they are told.
6. You shouldn't ________ people so much. Not everyone is dishonest.

Complete the following sentences using a prefix from above and the correct form of the word in capitals.

1. The servant proved to be ________. He sold his story to the newspapers. LOYAL
2. ____________ that is all we have time for I'm afraid. FORTUNATE
3. Some people argue for the decriminalization of recreational drugs, arguing that __________ does more harm than good. LEGAL
4. I hate the __________ of it all. It's not right what is happening. FAIR
5. She is always looking for the _____________ and is quick to point out your mistakes. PERFECT
6. I _____________ how many bottles we would need. I bought far too many. CALCULATE
7. There was an ______ silence. I didn't know what to say to her. EASE
8. The figures that you gave were __________ . Sales didn't fall; they actually rose 5%. ACCURATE