English on-line: особенности использования префиксов в английском языке

Деловой портал delo.ua совместно с British Council реализует проект "Английский язык on-line". В рамках проекта на портале появляются видеоинтервью с преподавателями British Council.

Тематика видеоинтервью — новые методики и подходы в изучении английского языка, интересные факты и практические советы по улучшению произношения и увеличения словарного запаса.

Тема сегодняшнего интервью — особенности использования префиксов в английском языке. Интервью дает Нассер Амери, заместитель директора обучающего центра British Council . Это первая часть видео, посвященной этой теме.

Наиболее распространенными префиксами в английском языке являются — 'dis-', 'im-', 'in-', 'un-', 'ir-', 're-' and 'il-'.

Как правило, префиксы имеют значение "не".

К примеру,

'polite' — 'impolite' (вежливый — невежливый)

'convenience' — 'inconvenience' (удобство — неудобство)

Исключением являет префикс — 're-', который означает повторение чего-то.

"send" — 'resend' (послать — повторно послать )

Текст интервью

Hi everybody.

I'm going to be giving a series of three presentations on prefixes and suffixes. Prefixes and suffixes conceptually shouldn't be too difficult for Ukrainian learners. They exist in both Russian and Ukrainian. However the prefixes and suffixes in the three languages are different.

Let's start by looking at prefixes. Prefixes are a way of changing the meaning of the word without using an antonym. For example if I wanted to change the meaning of 'good' I can use an antonym 'bad'. But prefixes allow me to change the meaning of the word without using an antonym.

Some of the most common prefixes in English are 'dis-', 'im-', 'in-', 'un-', 'ir-', 're-' and 'il-'. Let me give you some common examples of those prefixes. So for example we have 'dis-', we have the word 'satisfied' and then you have the prefix 'dis-' to make the word 'dissatisfied'. Then we have the prefix 'im-', we can add it to word 'polite' to make 'impolite'. Then we have the prefix 'in-', we can add it to the word 'convenience' and we have the word 'inconvenience'. Then we have the prefix 'un-', we have the word 'believable', we get the word 'unbelievable'. We have the prefix 'ir-', we have the word 'relevant', we get a new word 'irrelevant'. Then we have 're-', which we add to 'send', which makes 'resend'. You have the prefix 'il-', you add it to the word 'logical' and you get 'illogical'.

Now most of these prefixes that I've just talked about have a meaning of 'not', usually in a negative or bad way. For example if we go back to the first example I gave you — 'dis-' and you add it to the word 'satisfied', it creates 'dissatisfied' which means a bad feeling, something you're not happy with, for example service in a restaurant or in a hotel.

There is one of those prefixes that I mentioned which doesn't have this meaning of 'not'. Do you know which one it is? Yes, that's right, it's 're-' which means to do something again. 'Resend' — 'to send again', 'reactivate' — 'activate once again'.

Thank you, that's the end of the first presentation.