Examples of Root Words with Prefixes and Suffixes in Sentences

📚 Quick Study Guide: Root Words, Prefixes, & Suffixes

• 🌳 Root Word: The basic part of a word that carries its primary meaning. It cannot be broken down further without losing its core sense. Examples: 'act', 'connect', 'form'.
• ➡️ Prefix: A word part added to the beginning of a root word to change or modify its meaning. Examples: 'un-', 're-', 'pre-'.
• ⬅️ Suffix: A word part added to the end of a root word to change its meaning, part of speech, or grammatical function. Examples: '-able', '-tion', '-ly'.
• 🧩 How they combine: Prefixes and suffixes attach to root words to create new words with altered meanings. Understanding these parts helps decode unfamiliar words and build vocabulary.
• 💡 Example: In the word "unforgettable," 'un-' is the prefix (meaning 'not'), 'forget' is the root (meaning 'to lose memory of'), and '-able' is the suffix (meaning 'capable of'). Together, they mean 'not capable of being forgotten'.

🧠 Practice Quiz

1. ❓ In the sentence, "The artist's work was truly incredible," what is the root word?
   1. A. in
   2. B. cred
   3. C. ible
   4. D. incredible
2. ❓ Which prefix means "again" or "back"?
   1. A. un-
   2. B. pre-
   3. C. re-
   4. D. mis-
3. ❓ What does the word "unsuccessful" mean, based on its prefix and root?
   1. A. Very successful
   2. B. Not successful
   3. C. Before success
   4. D. Success again
4. ❓ Identify the suffix in the word "beautifully."
   1. A. beau
   2. B. tiful
   3. C. ly
   4. D. ful
5. ❓ In the word "disconnect," what is the meaning of the prefix 'dis-'?
   1. A. Together
   2. B. Apart; not
   3. C. Before
   4. D. Again
6. ❓ Which of the following words uses the root word "port" (meaning to carry) with a suffix that makes it a noun?
   1. A. Portable
   2. B. Import
   3. C. Reporter
   4. D. Transportation
7. ❓ Consider the word "precautionary." What is the root word?
   1. A. pre
   2. B. caution
   3. C. ary
   4. D. precautionary