Language point
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 29 June, 2004, 12:00am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 29 June, 2004, 12:00am
To produce an opposite meaning of a word, we usually add a prefix to it or use a totally different word (e.g. pretty/ugly).
Common prefixes include: un- (happy, unhappy), im- (possible/impossible), il- (legitimate/illegitimate), in- (effective/ineffective), ir- (regular/irregular), dis- (infect/disinfect), non- (metalic/non-metalic), and mis- (inform/misinform).
Can you find in the article words that contain a prefix?
The following words are taken from the article. Give their opposites.
like/opened/similar/difficult/behave/regular/lucky/active
Answers: unseen (line 1), unusual (line 3), invisible (line 26), independent (line 36), disagree (line 46)
1. unlike (adj)/dislike (v) 2. closed 3. dissimilar 4. easy 5. misbehave 6. irregular 7. unlucky 8. passive/inactive
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