Year 4 English Prefixes, suffixes and word families: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   not willing to help, or not useful
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   unhelpful
3. Check the affix. Un- means not. Help is the root word, and -ful is the suffix.
   Affix letters: un
4. Write the answer.
   unhelpful

Check. Read unhelpful and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Un- means not. Help is the root word, and -ful is the suffix.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   We will ___ the soup for lunch.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. to make food hot again
   reheat
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   We will reheat the soup for lunch.
4. Write the answer.
   reheat

Check. Read the whole sentence with reheat in it. ✓

Watch out. Re- means again. Heat is the root word.

Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.

1. Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.
   antidote
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 4 in all.
   4 missing letters
3. Write the missing letters. Anti- means against. The rest of the word comes from an old Greek word for something given.
   anti

Check. Put anti back in the box and read antidote. ✓

Watch out. Anti- means against. The rest of the word comes from an old Greek word for something given.

Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the correct word.

1. Look at supperstar. Compare it with the word superstar.
   supperstar is not right
2. Find the affix. Super- means above or beyond. Star is the root word, and superstar is a noun.
   Affix letters: super
3. Write the word correctly.
   superstar

Check. Read superstar and check each letter. ✓

Watch out. Super- means above or beyond. Star is the root word, and superstar is a noun.

Method. Take off the prefix and the suffix. What is left is the root word.

1. Look at the start of the word. A prefix is added before the root word.
   re-
2. Look at the end of the word. A suffix is added after the root word.
   no suffix
3. Find the root word. The root word is what is left when the prefix and suffix are taken away.
   write
4. Write the answer.
   root write; prefix re-; suffix none

Check. Put the parts back together to make rewrite. ✓

Watch out. The root word is a word on its own, or a part that can stand alone.

Method. Look at the letter after each prefix.

1. Look at illogical. Logical starts with l, so in- becomes il-.
   il + logical
2. Look at irresponsible. Responsible starts with r, so in- becomes ir-.
   ir + responsible
3. Write the answer.
   No. Illogical uses il- before l, and irresponsible uses ir- before r.

Check. The prefix depends on the first letter of the root word. ✓

Watch out. Check the first letter of the root word.

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   very beautiful or splendid
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   glorious
3. Check the affix. Glory ends in y, so change the y to i and add -ous: glorious.
   Affix letters: ous
4. Write the answer.
   glorious

Check. Read glorious and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Glory ends in y, so change the y to i and add -ous: glorious.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   Good ___ helps you do well in a test.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. the work of getting ready for something
   preparation
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   Good preparation helps you do well in a test.
4. Write the answer.
   preparation

Check. Read the whole sentence with preparation in it. ✓

Watch out. Prepare ends in e. Drop the e and add -ation.

Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.

1. Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.
   finally
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 2 in all.
   2 missing letters
3. Write the missing letters. Final ends in l, so add -ly, and the l is doubled: finally.
   ly

Check. Put ly back in the box and read finally. ✓

Watch out. Final ends in l, so add -ly, and the l is doubled: finally.

Method. Look at the root word of each word.

1. Look at expose. Expose ends in e, so the e is dropped and -ure is added.
   expos + ure
2. Look at enclose. Enclose ends in e, so the e is dropped and -ure is added.
   enclos + ure
3. Write the answer.
   Yes. Both come from roots that end in e, so the e is dropped and -ure is added, giving -sure.

Check. Both endings are spelt -sure. ✓

Watch out. Check the root word first.

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   dangerous, and likely to cause harm
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   hazardous
3. Check the affix. Hazard ends in d, and -ous is added: hazardous.
   Affix letters: ous
4. Write the answer.
   hazardous

Check. Read hazardous and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Hazard ends in d, and -ous is added: hazardous.

Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.

1. Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.
   furniture
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 4 in all.
   4 missing letters
3. Write the missing letters. Furniture ends in -ture. Learn the whole word, with its r after the n.
   ture

Check. Put ture back in the box and read furniture. ✓

Watch out. Furniture ends in -ture. Learn the whole word, with its r after the n.

Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the correct word.

1. Look at expanshion. Compare it with the word expansion.
   expanshion is not right
2. Find the affix. Expand ends in d. The d changes to s, then -ion is added.
   Affix letters: sion
3. Write the word correctly.
   expansion

Check. Read expansion and check each letter. ✓

Watch out. Expand ends in d. The d changes to s, then -ion is added.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   Her story shows great ___ and creativity.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. the ability to form pictures and ideas in your mind
   imagination
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   Her story shows great imagination and creativity.
4. Write the answer.
   imagination

Check. Read the whole sentence with imagination in it. ✓

Watch out. Imagine ends in e. Drop the e and add -ation.

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   felt sorry about something that you did
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   regretted
3. Check the affix. Regret is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.
   Affix letters: tt
4. Write the answer.
   regretted

Check. Read regretted and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Regret is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.

Method. Look at the first letter of the root word.

1. Look at polite. Polite starts with p.
   p
2. Look at impolite. In- becomes im- before p, so the prefix is im-.
   im + polite
3. Write the answer.
   Yes. In- becomes im- before p, and polite starts with p.

Check. The prefix changes before p. ✓

Watch out. Check the first letter of the root word.

Method. Find the word in the press family with this meaning.

1. Read the meaning. The feeling or idea you get about someone or something.
   feeling or idea
2. Find the word. Impress with -ion added is impression, and it is in the press family.
   impress + ion
3. Write the answer.
   impression

Check. Impression is built from press. ✓

Watch out. Impression ends in -ssion.

Method. Check where the stress is on the root word.

1. Look at visitted. The t is doubled, which is wrong here.
   visitted: wrong
2. Look at visit. The stress is on the start, so the t is not doubled.
   visit: one t
3. Write the answer.
   visited. Visit is stressed on the start, so the t is not doubled.

Check. Visited has one t. ✓

Watch out. Check the stress before you double a letter.

Method. Use bravely in a sentence that tells how something is done.

1. Think what bravely means. Bravely means in a brave way, without fear.
   in a brave way
2. Write the sentence. Check the e is dropped before -ly.
   The firefighter bravely climbed the ladder.
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any correct sentence with bravely, for example: The firefighter bravely climbed the ladder.

Check. Brave ends in e, so the e is dropped before -ly. ✓

Watch out. Bravely has no e before the -ly.

Method. Look at the prefix, then at the meaning of each whole word.

1. Look at the prefix. Both words start with auto-, which means self.
   auto- = self
2. Look at the whole words. An autobiography is a book, and autopilot is a system that steers a ship or aircraft.
   book; system
3. Write the answer.
   No. Both start with auto-, which means self, but an autobiography is a book about a person's own life, and autopilot keeps a ship or aircraft moving without a person steering.

Check. The prefix is the same, but the root words and meanings are different. ✓

Watch out. A shared prefix does not mean the words have the same meaning.