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Primary English · Year 5Chapter 2 · Prefixes: in-, dis-, de-, re-, auto- and bi-
Year 5 English · Prefixes: in-, dis-, de-, re-, auto- and bi- · Lesson 2.3

Year 5 English: The prefix de-: remove, reverse or undo

Part of the Year 5 English prefixes: in-, dis-, de-, re-, auto- and bi- chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

2.3

The prefix de-: remove, reverse or undo

Year 5
Use de- to mean remove, reverse or undo (SP-Y5e)
Story. The school kitchen has a freezer full of ice. Before the trip, the cook must defrost the freezer, so that it works properly. She reads the label on the door, which says that the power must be deactivated first.

Key pattern

The prefix de- often means remove, reverse or undo: frost becomes defrost, which means to remove the frost.

de- can also mean to stop doing something: activate becomes deactivate.

de- does not always mean not. Use in-, un- or dis- for not, and use de- for removing or undoing.

Key ideas

  • de- often means remove, reverse or undo.
  • defrost means remove the frost or ice.
  • decode means undo a code.
  • deactivate means to stop something being active.
Worked example 2.3.1
Write the word that means to remove the frost from a freezer.

Method. de- means remove, so take the frost away.

  1. Find the prefix. The prefix de- means remove.
    de-
  2. Add the prefix to the root. Frost is removed, so the word is defrost.
    de + frost
  3. Write the answer.
    defrost

Check. Defrost means remove frost. ✓

Worked example 2.3.2
Write the word that means to undo a code.

Method. de- means undo, so take the code away.

  1. Find the prefix. The prefix de- means undo.
    de-
  2. Add the prefix to the root. Undo the code, so the word is decode.
    de + code
  3. Write the answer.
    decode

Check. Decode means undo a code. ✓

Worked example 2.3.3
Which means to remove someone from a throne: enthrone or dethrone?

Method. de- means remove, so dethrone means remove from a throne.

  1. Find the prefix. The prefix de- means remove.
    de-
  2. Choose the word. Enthrone means place on a throne, so dethrone is the opposite.
    dethrone
  3. Write the answer.
    dethrone

Check. Dethrone means remove from a throne. ✓

Exercise 2C  Practice: de-

1
FWrite the word that means to remove the frost from a freezer.
2
FWrite the word that means to undo a code.
3
FWrite the word that means to stop something being active.
4
FWrite the word that means to remove the water from food, such as to dry it out.
5
FWhich means to remove from a throne: enthrone or dethrone?
6
FWrite the verb that means to clear the trees from an area of land.
7
FWhich means to remove the ice from a fridge: defrost or disfrost?
8
FWrite the word that means to make something no longer active.
9
FWrite the word that means to reverse the coding of a message.
10
PSBen says that de- always means not. Is he right? Explain.
11
PSWrite the word that means to take the salt out of sea water.
12
RExplain what the word deactivate means, using its prefix.

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