Grammar Points Wordbuilding

1. Prefixes

Exercise 1.1. After studying these five prefixes and their meanings, go on to the 20 sentences. In each sentence, underline a word beginning with one of these prefixes and fill in the blank with the best meaning for that prefix.

Prefix	From	Meaning	Example
bi-	Latin	two	bicycle
ex-	Latin	out	exit
non-	Latin	not	nonsense
per-	Latin	through	perforate
se-	Latin	away, aside	secede

1. A percolator brews coffee by causing boiling water to flow ______ the grounds.

2. The way _________ is called the exit.

3. Bipartisan support in Congress for a bill means that members of the ____ parties favor it.

4. An agreement between nations ________ to attack each other is a nonaggression pact.

5. When you separate one thing from another, you put one __________.

6. A nonchalant person has __________ a care in the world.

7. A person in seclusion keeps himself __________ from others.

8. An odor pervades a room when it spreads __________ it.

9. Exclaim means to cry __________.

10. A bicentennial celebration honors the __________ hundredth anniversary.

11. To perceive is to receive knowledge ___________ the senses.

12. Nonfiction is prose which is about real people and events; it is _________ imaginary.

13. A bicycle has __________ wheels.

14. Secret information is meant to be kept _________ from others.

15. The holes _________ sheets of postage stamps are called perforations.

16. A bilingual person speaks _________ languages.

17. A nonessential item is _________ needed.

18. Exports are shipped _________ of the country.

19. When you breathe ________, you exhale.

20. A secure place is __________ from harm or danger.

2. Roots

Exercise 2. 1. Study the five roots and the examples. In each of the 20 sentences which follow one of these roots has been used. Find the root in each sentence. Then, in the blank in each sentence, fill in the meaning of the root you have underlined. When more than one meaning is given for a root, choose the one which makes the best sense in the sentence.

Root From Meaning Examples

cred Latin belief, trust credentials

dec Latin ten decimate

dent Latin tooth dental

grat Latin please, favor gratuitous

labor Latin work laborious

1. A credenza was originally a buffet on which foods were placed for sampling to guard against poisoning. The food on this table could be _______________.

2. Credit is based on the _______________ that one will pay.

3. An incredible story is hard to _______________.

4. A gratifying experience is very _______________.

5. A dentist is one who cares for the _______________.

6. A laborer is a _______________.

7. Dentition refers to the development and arrangement of ______________.

8. A decade is a _______________ year period.

9. You are grateful when you express your _______________ or thanks.

10. Credulity is ___________ or readiness to __________.

11. A laboratory is actually a _______________ room.

12. A decennial is a _______________ anniversary.

13. Indentions are _______________ -like notches.

14. Something gratis is given free or as a _______________.

15. Dentures are artificial _______________.

16. Elaborate preparations require much _______________.

17. A gratuity or tip is a voluntary payment for a ___________ or service rendered.

18. In Roman times, December was the _______________ month of the year.

19. Labor Day is a legal holiday honoring _______________ men.

20. The decimal system is based on a unit of _______________.

Exercise 2.2.

Study the five roots. In each of the 20 sentences which follow, one of these roots has been used. Find and underline the root in each sentence. Then, in the blank in each sentence, fill in the meaning of the root you have underlined. When more than one meaning is given for a root, choose the one which makes the best sense in the sentence.

Root	From	Meaning	Example
magn	Latin	large, great	magnify
mal	Latin	bad, evil, ill	malady
multi	Latin	many	multimillionaire
nov	Latin	new	novelty
rupt	Latin	break	rupture

1. A multivolume library contains _______________ books.

2. A maladjusted person is _______________ adjusted to his environment.

3. _______________ industrialists are called industrial magnates.

4. A malefactor is a criminal, or one who commits _______________ acts.

5. Multilateral negotiations involve _______________ nations.

6. A corrupt person has _______________ his ties with decency.

7. A painting of _______________ ness is magnificent.

8. Innovations are changes or _______________ methods.

9. A work of literary magnitude would be a work of literary ___________ ness.

10. A multitude is made up of _______________ people.

11. A _______________ in the proceedings is called a disruption.

12. Maltreatment is _______________ treatment.

13. An interrupter _______________ into the conversation.

14. Malaria was once believed to be caused by _______________ air.

15. Beginning or _______________ workers are novices.

16. When a blood vessel ruptures, it _______________.

17. A multilingual person speaks _______________ languages.

18. Renovate means to restore or _______________.

19. A novel approach is a _______________ approach.

20. A magnifying lens makes objects appear _______________.

Exercise 2.3. Build your vocabulary by learning the meanings of important prefixes.

Prefix	Meaning
1. dis -	lack of, remove
2. extra -	beyond
3. inter-	between, among
4. mis -	wrong, opposite
5. post -	after
6. pre -	before
7. re -	back, again
8. sub -	under
9. trans -	across
10. un -	not

The prefixes above can be used with many of the words in the sentences below. Underline all such words. On the line following each sentence, write every underlined word, adding one prefix to each.

1. The journalist seemed fair and willing to come to some agreement.

________________________________________________________________

2. ”I don’t like the way you interrupted my speech”, I said to her. “You made several mistakes in your script, and you weren’t kind to me in general”.

_________________________________________________________________

3. “I feel that I quoted you correctly,” she said. “I promise you that I don’t feel any calculated prejudice against you.”

__________________________________________________________________

4. It was time for action. “Your article has caused me a lot of trouble,” I argued. “You at least could have taken a more favorable view when you wrote about my speech.”

__________________________________________________________________

5. “My ordinary method is to be reasonable,” she said, “but I can’t cover up what I know.”

__________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2.4. Read the text, pay attention to the underlined words, and define what parts of speech they are.

From the earliest times people used many methods of conveying messages as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

In American history the so-called “pony express” was one of the most heroic adventures. The discovery of gold in California made it necessary to give important messages. The stage coaches (дилижанс) which regularly carried mail required months to reach California. The pony express carried messages. It was a group of 80 young men of 18 years of age. These courageous men carried mails in relays (сменяя друг друга). They used five hundred of the finest horses available. The management kept men under very strict rules. Every rider was given a Bible and was not allowed to drink or swear .The pony express had a remarkable career. To deliver mail the riders had to overcome great physical danger. On April 3, 1860 the first rider started from Missouri and ten days later the message arrived in California which was two thousand miles away. A huge celebration was held in honour of this magnificent achievement. But the pony express had a short life of 16 months only.

In 1861 the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line marked the end of the pony express.

Exercise 2.5. Match the Russian word in A column its English equivalent in B column.

A	B
1) поселение	a) settle, b) settlement, c) settler, d) settles
2) независимость	a) dependence, b) independent, c) depend, d) independence
3) здание	a) builder, b) builds, c) building, d) build
4) реставрация	a) restoration, b) restorative, c) restore, d) restores
5) содействующий	a) promote, b) promoting, c) promotion, d) promotes
6) замененный	a) replacement, b) place, c) place, d) replaced
7) значение	a) mean, b) meaning, c) meant, d) means
8) предположение	a) suppose, b) supposes, c) supposed, d) supposition
9) мощный	a) power, b) powerless, c) powerful, d) proper
10) вес	a) weighty, b) weightlessness, c) weight, d) weightless