PREFIXES & SUFFIXES

Prefix 
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word. For example, the word "unhappy" consists of the prefix "un-" [which means "not"] combined with the root (stem) word "happy"; the word "unhappy" means "not happy."

A Short List of Prefixes:

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLES
de-	from, down, away reverse, opposite	decode, decrease
dis-	not, opposite, reverse, away	disagree, disappear
ex-	out of, away from, lacking, former	exhale, explosion
il-	not	illegal, illogical
im-	not, without	impossible, improper
in-	not, without	inaction, invisible
mis-	bad, wrong	mislead, misplace
non-	not	nonfiction, nonsense
pre-	before	prefix, prehistory
pro-	for, forward, before	proactive, profess, program
re-	again, back	react, reappear
un-	against, not, opposite	undo, unequal, unusual

A Short List of Suffixes:

SUFFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLES
-able	able to, having the quality of	comfortable, portable
-al	relating to	annual, comical
-er	comparative	bigger, stronger
-est	superlative	strongest, tiniest
-ful	full of	beautiful, grateful
-ible	forming an adjective	reversible, terrible
-ily	forming an adverb	eerily, happily, lazily
-ing	denoting an action, a material, or a gerund	acting, showing
-less	without, not affected by	friendless, tireless
-ly	forming an adjective	clearly, hourly
-ness	denoting a state or condition	kindness, wilderness
-y	full of, denoting a condition, or a diminutive	glory, messy, victory,

VOCABULARY

Here's some vocabulary that could be useful for you.

VOCABULARY

VERB PATTERNS

Using Gerunds or infinitives

One of the difficulties of the English language is to know whether to use a gerund  (ex : doing) or an infinitive (ex : to do).

Generally speaking we can use the following rules:

Examples		Rules	Explanations
Verb + gerund	1. I enjoy playing 2. I denied stealing	Often we use the gerund for an action that happens before or at the same time as the action of the main verb.	1. I enjoy myself at the time of playing. 2. I deny having stolen anything before.
Verb + infinitive	1. I decided to visit my uncle 2. I want to go out	Often we use the infinitive for actions that followthe action of the main verb.	1. Visiting my uncle was an action of my decision. It comes after. 2. What I want (now) is to go out (after/later)

hese rules are helpful but DO NOT always explain all uses of gerunds and infinitives.

Verbs commonly followed by a gerund

1- After verbs that express likes/dislikes :

• like
• love
• enjoy
• dislike
• hate

Example:

" I like playing soccer but I hate boxing."

Note "like/love/hate..." can be also followed by an infinitive:

Example:

I like to watch TV in the evening.

2- After verbs  such as : 

Verbs	Examples
admit	He admitted stealing the wallet.
advise	I wouldn't advise buying a used car.
allow	They don't allow smoking here. (Note that when an object is introduced an infinitive is used instead of a gerund: they allowed us to leave early.)
anticipate	He anticipated passing the exam.
avoid	She avoided meeting him.
appreciate	I appreciate working with you.
complete	They completed building their house.
consider	She considered starting a new business.
delay	She delayed doing her homework.
deny	He denied stealing the money.
fancy	Fancy meeting you here!
finish	She finished writing the letter.
go	go swimming.
imagine	He imagines meeting her.
involve	the job involves working in teams.
keep	He keeps complaining about his girlfriend.
mention	He mentioned working in that company.
mind	Would you mind helping me?
miss	He misses talking to her.
permit	The don't permit smoking here. (Note that, like allow, when an object is introduced an infinitive is used instead of a gerund: they permitted us to leave early.)
postpone	They postponed traveling to Japan.
practice	She practiced painting.
reject	He rejected working with them.
resist	He couldn't resist eating the cake.
risk	She risks losing her job.
suggest	I suggest leaving early.
waste time/money	Don't waste my time complaining.

3- After prepositions

• aim at
• keep on
• interested in    
• instead of
  
• good at
• before ...
• after ...

Example:

"I am interested in collecting stamps."
"After playing football I drank an orange juice".

4- After some expressions :

• It's no use ...
• It's no good ...
• There's no point in ...
• I can't help...
• I don't mind...
• I can't stand/bear...

" It's no use convincing him to meet her. "

Verbs that can be followed by an infinitive

1- After verbs that  generally refer to a future event:

Verbs	Examples
afford	We can't afford to buy a new car.
agree	She agreed to help him.
aim	The government aims to reduce illiteracy rates
arrange	He arranged to stay at a hotel.
attempt	He attempted to join them.
choose	He chose to stay at home.
consent	She consented to marry him.
decide	They decided to go to the movies.
deserve	He deserves to be punished.
demand	He demanded to speak to Mrs. Lynch
endeavor	They endeavor to provide the best possible service
expect	They expected to arrive early.
fail	He failed to convince him.
happen	They happened to be at the theatre when we met them.
help	She helped me to do the exercise. (Note, help is also followed by a bare infinitive: She helped me do the exercise.)
hope	I hope to join you as soon as possible.
intend	She intends to write an autobiography.
learn	He learned to play the guitar when he was young.
manage	He managed to do his homework without his mother's help.
need	I need to find a job.
offer	He offers to help us.
plan	He plans to follow a career as an engineer.
pretend	The child pretended to be asleep.
proceed	He proceeded to show us how to use the machine.
promise	She promised to come on time.
refuse	She refused to forgive him.
seem	He seemed to be unhappy.
swear	I swear to tell the truth.
threaten	He threatened to reveal her secret.
volunteer	He always volunteers to help the needy.
want	I want to finish my work early.
would hate	He would hate to lose.
would like	He would like to drink a cup of tea.
would love	I would love to meet you.

2- After adjectives

• be determined
• be disappointed
• be glad
• be happy
• be pleased 

Examples:

"I'm glad to know that you passed the exam."
"I'm pleased to meet you."
"I'm disappointed to hear that you flunked maths."

3- After "too" & "enough":

too difficult
easy enough
Example:

"It's too difficult to convince him to be helpful."
" But it's easy enough to fool him to get what you want."

Verbs that can be followed by both an infinitive and a gerund:

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive. Here are some examples:

• start
• begin
• stop
• remember...

Example:

"I started smoking when I was young."
"I started to smoke when I left the office."

Exercise on gerund or infinitive.
Lesson on infinitives.
Gerund

taken from http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-gerund-infinitive.php

WORD FORMATION

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end. The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g. helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful)1

Exercise 1

1. The Sultan spent over fifty million dollars making the capital city's main hotel the most  in the country.
luxury

2. Police working on solving the bank robbery have by chance  a plan to murder a leading politician.
cover

3. We should go and eat at "Franco's" which is  a great little restaurant.
suppose

4. I left the house at 8am and stared at the empty garage in . My car was nowhere to be seen. Someone had stolen it!
believe

5. If you have any problems finding things, just ask Roger. He is very and will tell you where to find what you want.
help

6. You paid $25 for a simple breakfast?! They have certainly  you! You should go back and complain.
charge

7. The gang robbed three banks in the same city and all at about the same time. Not , they were caught by the police during the fourth attempt.
surprise

8. Sarina is only my half sister because we have  mothers.
differ

Exercise 2

1. This queue hasn't moved in five minutes. I'm getting a bit !
patient

2. Politicians should spend some time living on the streets like  people have to and then they would understand better the problems they have.
home

3. Carl was calmly taking a photograph as this  large bear walked towards the car. It was a terrifying experience...at least for me!
astonish

4. If you go walking around the factory, ensure you have  clothing on.
protect

5. Are you sure you have cleaned the kitchen? There is still a pretty smell coming from it.
pleasant

6. Although it isn't definite we will see you tomorrow, it is quite .
like

7. Be sure not to put more than three  of vodka into the mix, otherwise it will be too alcoholic.
spoon

8. Finding a cure for cancer will be a huge  breakthrough for mankind.
medicine

Exercise 3

1. Buying and selling antiques can be a very  hobby if you know how to find a good bargain.
profit

2. We were left without any money for the last part of our holiday because we had  the cost of the train ticket to Norway.
estimate

3. Mr. Transom stared  at the group of students talking in the corner and they shut up immediately.
cross

4. Jennings is so  enthusiastic about the game that his enthusiasm spreads to his team-mates and the result is usually a strong performance.
wonder

5. I think I was  sacked and have decided to bring the company to court.
fair

6. Have you seen my handbag John? It seems to have totally !
appear

7. You know your father is the most  person in the world. He is sure to be wearing one of his old sweaters to the party.
fashion

8. People will need to see  provable information before they can believe in something like life on other planets.
science

Exercise 4

1. It isn't very  that Paula is at home, is it? She usually works at this time.
like

2. Megan was told by her dietician that she was becoming  thin and should eat more.
danger

3.  is the spice of life, says the proverb and everyone should try and do new things and meet new people to avoid becoming bored.
vary

4. Harry had a difficult  and was brought up by an aunt and uncle living in the country.
child

5. The whole dispute began after a small  over the money needed to finance the new company.
agree

6. The introduction of insecticides in the 20th Century  agriculture across the world.
revolution

7. All the coastal towns in this area are  by strong tradition of dance and there is a festival of dance that takes place every August.
character

8. My company has spent a lot of money building a new,  factory which will nearly double production.
computer

Exercise 5

1. I was just trying to be  towards him and he accused me of wanting his money!
friend

2. The south-west of England, for example Devon and Cornwall, is known as the  part of the United Kingdom.
sun

3. What you may think is  is really just over-enthusiasm. He would never harm anyone.
hostile

4. Anyone being rude and  to our staff will be asked to leave the premises immediately.
abuse

5. Men have more of a  to put weight on around the waist and stomach areas and this is something they should be aware of.
tend

6. Three weeks after winning the lottery, Daniel Perkins had the  to lose a court case in which he was being sued for nearly $2million.
fortune

7. The pharmaceutical company's  have discovered a better way of combining medicines to create a flu remedy.
search

8. The babies were put up for  when their mother was jailed for her part in the murder.
adopt

Exercise 6

1. Herbert has been a(n)  member of this company's staff. I don't know what I would do without him!
dispense

2. The food at the restaurant was simply delicious. I just didn't think there was enough .
vary

3. Even though the actors did quite a poor job of bringing the book to the stage, the  was of the highest quality.
produce

4. Even though he is only 17, he is a very  tennis player who could have a big future in the game.
promise

5. The stock market has risen  in the last six months and now is a good time to invest.
consider

6. The  of the printer is often believed to have been one of the most important of the last 500 years.
invent

7. My brother chose that university because it does a very well recommended  course and that's what he has always wanted to do.
journalist

8. Hamish had the  to lose his job only three weeks after getting married. But things turned out alright in the end.
fortune

Exercise 7

1. There will be a special  meeting tomorrow morning at 9a.m which everyone has to attend.
safe

2. The modernisation of the factory  productivity but unfortunately, many people lost their jobs.
double

3. All students must take English and Mathematics. Then they must choose two other courses, but the course in International Relations is .
option

4. It is my dream to work in the ship-building industry but unfortunately, there is so much  around that I may have to alter my ambitions.
employ

5. Too much of the food we eat nowadays is full of chemicals and other .
add

6. Come to my house tomorrow,  as early as possible.
prefer

7. I do like your new friend Jasper. He tells the funniest jokes and seems to be a very  young man.
entertain

8. He has just asked me for money again. That's the  time and he doesn't seem to understand the word "no"!
three

Exercise 8

1. How long do we have to sit in this police station waiting. It's making me feel very  watching all these criminals walking past.
easy

2. He did a great report on the future of the ship-building industry but I didn't agree with his  at all.
conclude

3. I'm afraid Mr. Perkins is  at the moment. He seems to be in a meeting. Is there any message you would like me to pass on to him?
available

4. People with  have been demanding better access to the local government buildings downtown. They want a wheelchair ramp built and electric sliding doors.
able

5. I don't speak Spanish very well but I can read it quite .
easy

6. I accepted the job without  when I heard what the wage was!
hesitate

7. Stop sitting there looking so bored and . Get up and find something to do! I don't want you sitting around the house like this all summer.
enthusiasm

8. Yesterday, the government announced a $10 million increase in the town's budget to try and tackle the  problem that exists.
house

Exercise 9

1. I thought the stunts and action scenes in that movie were great! It must have been very  for the stuntmen to do some of them.
danger

2. Craig, did you see that  on TV last night for the new Volvo? I thought I would never stop laughing; it was brilliant!
advertise

3. What would have been an interesting political debate was ruined by the aggressive, bossy  and finally, one of the candidates walked out of the studio.
interview

4. Ladies and gentlemen, the creation of this new department will increase productivity and help the company to become  again.
profit

5. Young children have so much imagination and  that it never fails to amaze me. If only adults were the same!
create

6. "The problem with young people today is that they don't realise how damaging their apathy and  can be," my uncle said.
responsible

7. I don't care if you didn't hear what I said. That is your problem: a total  to listen to anything I say to you. I'm very disappointed in your behaviour.
able

8. The  charge in that restaurant is 25%. I think we should go somewhere cheaper!
serve

Exercise 10

1. I spent most of my  on a farm in Wales before the family moved to America.
child

2. In , I would like to add my congratulations to your daughter and her husband on the birth of their second child.
add

3. The  of this machine was a local farmer who stayed in the area even after the wealth and fame he found.
invent

4. Your brother made it sound like the show was going to be great. I found it very  and was feeling quite bored by the end.
excite

5. The  climate in these parts does wonders for my health. I could live here all year!
tropic

6. We expect these  conditions to continue for at least another 24 hours before things calm down a bit.
storm

7. Many of the houses in this area are considered  and will probably be demolished by the end of the year.
safe

8. The leader of the trade union tried  for re-election before finally retiring after 27 years.
success

Exercise 11

1. There are  ways you can reach the conference hall, but the tram service in this city is excellent and is probably your best option.
vary

2. You have to go in there and  them! Without your encouragement and enthusiasm, I don't know what we would do.
energy

3. We are sorry to say that there hasn't been much  in your grandmother's condition.
improve

4. It's not  to do a degree course in only two years, but you would need to work very hard.
possible

5. Your friend was a  host last night. I can't wait to meet her again.
delight

6. You're not wearing those shoes for the trek today. They are totally . Go and put some boots on.
suit

7. That was one of the most uncomfortable  I have ever been on. The turbulence was awful.
fly

8. This letter is full of . Can you type it again please?
spell

Exercise 12

1. When you start work in this restaurant, good hygiene is of the highest 
important

2. We won eleven of our chess matches but then lost the  which was so disappointing.
twelve

3. Do you have any extra cushions? This hard chair is pretty !
comfort

4. How can I begin to explain what we do here in the company? Well, , we are the people you come to if your windows are scratched and you want them to look new again.
basic

5. I can't decide between the cake and the ice cream. What a difficult .
choose

6. Coming to work on the bus must be  than using that old bicycle of yours.
easy

7. The customs officer asked me to open my suitcase and, most , to show him the contents of my handbag too. But he was very polite.
pleasant

8. It was freezing at work today. The  broke down and we were all working in our sweaters and overcoats!
heat

taken from http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/first-certificate-word-formation.php

CAN, COULD, BE ABLE TO

Here you have some links to practice.

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/can-could-be-able


http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.can.i.htm


http://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-19600.php

NARRATIVE TENSES

Narrative tenses are verb tenses that are used to talk about the past. They are often found in stories and descriptions of past events, such as personal anecdotes.

Example
The following are examples of narrative tenses:
Past simple - 'We left on a rainy day' Past continuous - 'It was pouring down even at midday' Past perfect - 'It had rained off and on for ten days' Past perfect continuous - 'We had been waiting to escape for what seemed ages'

Here you have some links where you can practice and check your answers online.

http://www.ice.urv.es/eoiact/level3/narrativetenses1.htm

https://elt.oup.com/student/solutions/advanced/grammar/grammar_02_022e?cc=mx&selLanguage=en

http://www.eltbase.com/quiz/201_02.htm

http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/narrate/narrtense.htm

QUANTIFIERS

We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.

Sometimes we use a quantifier in the place of a determiner:

Most children start school at the age of five.
We ate some bread and butter.
We saw lots of birds.

We use these quantifiers with both count and uncount nouns:

all	any	enough	less	a lot of	lots of
more	most	no	none of	some

and some more colloquial forms:

plenty of

heaps of

a load of

loads of

tons of

etc.

Some quantifiers can be used only with count nouns:

both

each

either

(a) few

fewer

neither

several

and some more colloquial forms:

a couple of

hundreds of

thousands of

etc.

Some quantifiers can be used only with uncount nouns:

a little

(not) much

a bit of

And, particularly with abstract nouns such as time, money, trouble, etc:, we often use:

a great deal of

a good deal of

Members of groups

You can put a noun after a quantifier when you are talking about members of a group in general…

Few snakes are dangerous.
Both brothers work with their father.
I never have enough money.

…but if you are talking about a specific group of people or things, use of the … as well

Few of the snakes are dangerous.
All of the children live at home.
He has spent all of his money.

Note that, if we are talking about two people or things we use the quantifiers both, either andneither:

One supermarket	Two supermarkets*	More than two supermarkets
The supermarket was closed The supermarket wasn't open I don’t think the supermarket was open.	Both the supermarkets were closed. Neither of the supermarkets was open. I don’t think either of the supermarkets was open.	All the supermarkets were closed None of the supermarkets were open I don't think any of the supermarkets were open

*Nouns with either and neither have a singular verb.

Singular quantifiers:

We use every or each with a singular noun to mean all:

There was a party in every street.	=	There were parties in all the streets.
Every shop was decorated with flowers.	=	All the shops were decorated with flowers.
Each child was given a prize.	=	All the children were given a prize.
There was a prize in each competition.	=	There were prizes in all the competitions.

We often use every to talk about times like days, weeks and years:

When we were children we had holidays at our grandmother’s every year.
When we stayed at my grandmother’s house we went to the beach every day.
We visit our daughter every Christmas.

BUT: We do not use a determiner with every and each. We do not say:

The every shop was decorated with flowers.
The each child was given a prize.

Activities