Technical Communication Lesson

Base Word, Prefixes and Suffixes

Base Word

• A based word is a word in its simplest form. A base word has nothing added to it.
• For example :

          1. Do

          2. Heat

          3. Write

          4. Happy

          5. Agree

Prefixes

• Prefixes are added to the beginning of a base word. They change the meaning of the base word.
• For example :

          1. Un (added word) + happy (base word) = Unhappy

          2. Re (added word) + do (base word)       = Redo

• Here, the prefix "un" means not or the opposite of

       For example : "Uncomfortable" means not comfortable.

• While, the prefix "re" means to read again 

       For example : "Reread" means read again.

                         : "Rewrite" means to write again.

Suffixes

• Suffixes are added to the end of a base word. They change the meaning (form) of the base word.

• For example : 

      1. Wonder (base word) + ful (added word) = Wonderful

      2. Quick (base word) + ly (added word)     = Quickly

•  Here, the suffix "ful" means full of

        For example : "Colourful" means full of colours.

• While, suffix "ly" means in a certain way

          For example : "Quickly" is means in a quick way.