Humanities › English Practice Identifying Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words Print Manojkumar Madhusoodananpillai / Getty Images English English Grammar An Introduction to Punctuation Writing By Richard Nordquist Richard Nordquist English and Rhetoric Professor Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester B.A., English, State University of New York Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on May 24, 2019 This exercise will give you practice in recognizing and using common prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Instructions For each sentence below, study the one word that's in bold print. See if you can identify the root word (or base) along with any prefixes and/or suffixes that are attached to it. After you have filled in all the blanks, compare your answers with those below. We watched a preview of the new Pixar movie.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________The dancing cat was seen by more than two-million YouTube viewers.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________The teacher handed out paper hearts to the students who had done extra work.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________The magician made the rabbit disappear.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________At the end of his performance, the magician made a graceful bow to the audience.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________Shyla asked the magician for his autograph.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Because of the lightness of the breeze, the sailboat moved quite slowly.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________Despite the heaviness of his backpack, Jack raced up the hill.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________Some dogs are shy or unfriendly, and they might bark or snap if you try to pet them.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________Esther quickly reopened the door and called for her cat.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________We stood on a bluff overlooking the ocean.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________In today's world, no part of the globe is unreachable.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________My father never let anyone see him dressed informally.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________Everyone thought that Mr. Darcy was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________Preschoolers should have plenty of opportunities to run, play, and listen to stories.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________The speaker pointed out the unfairness of blaming high schools for the poor preparation of college freshmen in reading, writing, and math.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________ Answers Below are the answers to the exercise: Root: viewPrefix: pre-Root: viewSuffix: -ersRoot: teachSuffix: -erRoot: appearPrefix: dis-Root: graceSuffix: -fulRoot: graphPrefix: auto-Root: lightSuffix: -nessRoot: heavySuffix: -nessRoot: friendPrefix: un-Suffix: -lyRoot: openPrefix: re-Suffix: -edRoot: lookPrefix: over-Suffix: -ingRoot: reachPrefix: un-Suffix: -ableRoot: formalPrefix: in-Suffix: -lyRoot: agreePrefix: dis-Suffix: -ableRoot: schoolPrefix: -preSuffix: -ersRoot: fairPrefix: un-Suffix: -ness Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Nordquist, Richard. "Practice Identifying Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words." ThoughtCo, Aug. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/identifying-prefixes-suffixes-and-root-words-1688945. Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 29). Practice Identifying Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/identifying-prefixes-suffixes-and-root-words-1688945 Nordquist, Richard. "Practice Identifying Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/identifying-prefixes-suffixes-and-root-words-1688945 (accessed March 19, 2024). copy citation