Prefixes in Affixation for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: Third Term
Week: 2
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Vocabulary Development
Focal competence: Appropriately forming and using words with prefixes and suffixes
Key competencies/values: Communication; Collaboration; ICT and Digital Competencies; Digital Competencies; Information Literacy
Skills:

• differentiate between a prefix and a suffix

Previous Lesson: Pronunciation of three-syllable words using the correct stress
Topic: Affixation: Prefixes
Subject Matter: Prefixes

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define what a prefix is.
• Identify common prefixes and their meanings.
• Form new words by adding prefixes to root words.
• Differentiate between a prefix and a suffix.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the role of prefixes in expanding vocabulary.
• Show interest in exploring new words formed with prefixes.

Psychomotor Domain

• Construct words correctly using given prefixes.
• Participate actively in word-building exercises.

Social Domain

• Collaborate with peers during word-building games.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Standard English Language textbook for SS 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Flash cards with prefixes and root words
• Course books
• Standard English dictionary
• Online dictionary (if available)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Chart showing common prefixes and their meanings

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding prefixes is fundamental to expanding vocabulary and improving comprehension in English. This lesson helps students decode unfamiliar words, infer their meanings, and construct new words, which are essential skills for effective communication and academic success.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of what words are and how they are formed. They should also be familiar with the concept of root words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Affixation: Prefixes

What is Affixation?

Affixation is the linguistic process of adding an affix (a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word or word form) to a root word to create a new word or to change its grammatical function. Affixes can be prefixes or suffixes.

What is a Prefix?

A prefix is an affix that is placed at the beginning of a root word to modify its meaning or create a new word. Prefixes often change the meaning of the root word in a predictable way, such as indicating negation, reversal, size, time, or number.

For example, adding ‘un-‘ (meaning ‘not’) to ‘happy’ creates ‘unhappy’ (not happy).

Common Prefixes and Their Meanings

Here are some common prefixes and examples of words formed with them:

1. un- (not, opposite of): unhappy, undo, untie
2. re- (again, back): rewrite, rebuild, return
3. dis- (not, opposite of, away): dishonest, dislike, disappear
4. pre- (before): pre-test, preview, prepare
5. mis- (wrongly, badly): misunderstand, misspell, mistake
6. anti- (against): anti-social, antibiotic, antifreeze
7. sub- (under, below): subway, submarine, submerge
8. inter- (between, among): international, interact, interview
9. super- (above, beyond): superhuman, supersonic, superstar
10. co- (with, together): co-operate, co-pilot, co-exist
11. de- (down, away, opposite): decrease, defrost, decode
12. ex- (out of, former): export, ex-president, exhale
13. in-/im-/il-/ir- (not, in, into): inactive, impossible, illogical, irregular
14. non- (not): non-fiction, non-stop, non-sense
15. pro- (for, forward): progress, promote, proactive
16. trans- (across, through): transport, translate, transatlantic

Difference Between a Prefix and a Suffix

Prefixes and suffixes are both types of affixes, but they differ in their position relative to the root word and sometimes in their primary function.

1. Prefix: A prefix is attached to the beginning of a root word. It primarily changes the meaning of the word.

   Example: un + happy = unhappy (changes meaning to ‘not happy’)

2. Suffix: A suffix is attached to the end of a root word. It often changes the grammatical function of the word (e.g., from verb to noun, or noun to adjective) or its tense/number.

   Example: happy + -ness = happiness (changes adjective ‘happy’ to noun ‘happiness’)

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Word-building Games, Individual Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them to recall what they know about how new words are formed in English. The teacher then introduces the topic of affixation, specifically focusing on prefixes.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to questions about word formation and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Introduction to affixation

Step 2: Explanation of Prefixes

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines what a prefix is, explaining that it is a group of letters added to the beginning of a root word to change its meaning. The teacher provides simple examples like ‘un-‘ in ‘unhappy’ and ‘re-‘ in ‘rewrite’.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions for clarification, and note down the definition of a prefix.

Learning Point: Definition of prefixes

Step 3: Identifying Common Prefixes and Meanings

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Illustration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses flashcards or a chart to present several common prefixes (e.g., un-, re-, dis-, pre-, mis-) and explains their meanings. For each prefix, the teacher gives multiple examples of words formed with it.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the flashcards/chart, repeat the prefixes and their meanings, and suggest other words they know.

Learning Point: Common prefixes and meanings

Step 4: Forming Words with Prefixes

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides root words (e.g., ‘do’, ‘write’, ‘agree’, ‘view’, ‘understand’) and guides students to add appropriate prefixes to form new words. The teacher asks students to explain how the meaning changes.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively participate by suggesting prefixes and forming new words, explaining the change in meaning.

Learning Point: Word formation with prefixes

Step 5: Differentiating Prefixes and Suffixes

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Comparison/Contrast

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the key difference between a prefix and a suffix, emphasizing their positions on the root word and their primary functions (meaning change vs. grammatical change). The teacher provides examples for both.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, compare the examples, and ask questions to clarify the distinction.

Learning Point: Prefix vs. suffix distinction

Step 6: Word-Building Game

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Collaborative Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher organises a quick word-building game. The teacher gives root words, and students, in pairs or small groups, compete to form as many words as possible using prefixes within a time limit.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work collaboratively to form words using prefixes, demonstrating their understanding.

Learning Point: Practical prefix application

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a prefix?
2. Give two examples of words with the prefix ‘un-‘.
3. How is a prefix different from a suffix?
4. Add a prefix to the word ‘visible’ to mean ‘not visible’.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding prefixes and suffixes

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on prefixes, their meanings, and the difference between prefixes and suffixes into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly recaps the main points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of prefixes in vocabulary development and encouraging students to pay attention to prefixes when reading new words. The teacher corrects any final misconceptions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and ask any remaining questions.

Learning Point: Reinforcement of prefixes

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following tasks in your English notebook.

1. Define ‘prefix’ in your own words.
2. List five common prefixes not discussed in class, state their meanings, and give two examples for each.
3. For each word below, identify the prefix and explain its meaning:
   1. decode
   2. impossible
   3. reconstruct
   4. disagree
   5. non-existent
4. Form new words by adding an appropriate prefix to each of these root words:
   1. happy
   2. view
   3. connect
   4. legal
   5. cycle

Lesson Keywords

• Affixation – The process of adding affixes to a word.
• Affix – A morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word.
• Prefix – An affix placed at the beginning of a root word.
• Root word – The basic word to which affixes are added.
• Suffix – An affix placed at the end of a root word.

Differentiation

For students who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to find more complex words with multiple prefixes or to research the origins of certain prefixes. For students needing more support, provide a list of common prefixes and their meanings to refer to during activities, and offer additional one-on-one guidance during word formation exercises.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search on YouTube for: prefixes english grammar SS1