English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Identify base words, prefixes, and suffixes
Identify base words, prefixes, and suffixes
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define the terms base word, prefix, and suffix.
Identify the base word in a given word.
Identify the prefix in a word like 'reread' or 'unsafe'.
Identify the suffix in a word like 'careful' or 'teacher'.
Explain how adding a prefix or suffix changes a base word's meaning.
Build a new word by adding a common prefix or suffix to a base word.
Have you ever noticed that 'play' and 'replay' are almost the same word, but mean different things? 🤔 Let's become word detectives and find out why!
We are going to learn about word parts! You'll discover that many big words are just a smaller word with a piece added to the beginning or end. Learning about these parts will help you understand n...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Base WordThe main part of a word that has a meaning all by itself. It's the word you have before adding any parts to the beginning or end.In the word 'playing', the base word is 'play'.
PrefixA word part added to the BEGINNING of a base word. It changes the word's meaning.The prefix 'un-' in 'unhappy' means 'not'. It changes 'happy' to 'not happy'.
SuffixA word part added to the END of a base word. It changes the word's meaning.The suffix '-ful' in 'helpful' means 'full of'. It changes 'help' to 'full of help'.
Prefix: re-A common prefix that means 'again'.'Replay' means to play again.
Suffix: -lessA common suffix...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Prefix Rule
Prefix + Base Word
A prefix is always attached to the front of a base word. Think 'pre' means 'before'.
The Suffix Rule
Base Word + Suffix
A suffix is always attached to the end of a base word.
The Meaning-Changer Rule
Adding a prefix or suffix changes the meaning of the base word.
Always think about the base word's meaning first, then see how the new part changes it. For example, 'kind' is a nice person, but 'unkind' is a person who is not nice.
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Challenging
The prefix "mis-" means "wrong" or "badly." Which sentence uses a word with the prefix "mis-" correctly?
A.I will mis my friend who moved away.
B.The cat misbehaved when it knocked over the lamp.
C.The room was filled with a soft mis.
D.He is a very mis person.
Challenging
Read the paragraph: "The boy unhappily walked home. He was disappointed that the game was cancelled. It was a very rainy day." Which word from the paragraph has a prefix, a base word, and a suffix?
A.unhappily
B.disappointed
C.cancelled
D.rainy
Challenging
A base word is the main part of a word. In which word is the base word NOT a word that can stand by itself?
A.teacher
B.unhappy
C.inspect
D.quickly
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