The Writing and Reading Center Vocabulary Building Workshop

1. The Writing and Reading CenterVocabulary Building Workshop Monday, October 29, 2018 4:00-5:15pm Library - Room 302 Bring essays that you are currently working on!

2. Common Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words • The English language has its roots in several languages, including Greek, Latin, and older forms of English, German, and French. Learning to recognize common roots and affixes (prefixes and suffixes) will help you build your vocabulary and improve your ability to make educated guesses about unknown words you encounter in reading and test-taking situations. Good dictionaries will give you information about the origins of words. Whenever you look up a new word, make a point of reading this information. Some of the roots and affixes that appear in a large number of words. Learning these will enhance your ability to comprehend course readings and learn new terminology.

3. Latin and Greek Roots The root and its Definition • Anthropos man • Derm skin • Cogn born with; knowing • Junct join • Tract to draw or pull forth • Spir breathe, life, spirit • Chart paper • Port carry

5. Prefixes • Prefix Meaning Example • a, an without, not asexual, amoral, anarchy, anhydrous, Anabaptist, anachronism • ab, abs, a apart, away from abnormal, abduct, abductor (muscle), abscission • amphi, ambi round, both sides amphitheater, amphibian, ambidextrous, ambivalent • Ante before antedate, anteroom, antecedent, anterior • Anthro man anthropology, anthropomorphic • Anti against antipathy, antitank, anticlimax

6. Aqua water aquarium, aqueous • Archaios ancient archeology, archetype, archaic, archeozoic • Audio hear audiophile, audiometer, auditory • Auto self automatic, automaton, auto-immune • Bi two bi-partisan, bisexual, biennial, binary, bicuspid, bivalve • Bene well, favorable benefit, benevolent, benefactor, beneficent • Bible book bibliography, Bible, bibliophile • Bio life biology, biography, bio-active

7. Demos people democracy, demographic • Di two, double dimorphism, dicotyledon, diatomic • Dis not, apart disperse, disinherit, disenfranchise, distend • Ego I, self ego, egomaniac, egocentric, • Ex out exotic, exterior, extraneous, extemporaneous, • Frater brother fraternize, fraternity, fraternal, fratricide • Geo earth geology, geography, geocentric, geomancy • graph write, record graphic, graphite, graphology, • Hetero mixed, unlike heterogeneous, heterosexual, heterodox • Homo same, alike homogeneous, homogenized

8. Macro large macroeconomics, macroscopic, macrophage • Micro small microscope, micrometer, microorganism • poly many polygamy, polyphonic • Porto carry porter, export • Post after post script (p.s.), post hoc, post-mortem • Pre before premier, preview, premium, prescient • Pro before, in favor of project, projectile, • Psyche mind, soul psychology • Scope examine microscope, oscilloscope • Scribo write transcribe, scribe, script • Trans across transport, transcend, transmogrify

9. Suffixes • able, ible able, capable capable, agreeable, edible, visible • Ade result of action blockade • Age act of, state of, result of storage, wreckage, damage • Al relating to gradual, manual, natural • an, ian native of, relating to African, riparian • ance, ancy action, process, state assistance, allowance, defiance • ary, ery, ory relating to, quality, place where aviary, bravery, dormitory • Dom quality, realm freedom, kingdom, wisdom • Ee one who receives the action refugee, nominee, lessee

10. En made of, to make silken, frozen, wooden • ence, ency action, state of, quality difference, confidence, urgency, agency • er, or one who, that which baker, miller, professor • Escent in the process of adolescent, senescence, • esis, osis action, process, condition genesis, hypnosis, neurosis • Ess female goddess, lioness, actress • Ful full of frightful, careful, helpful • Fy make beautify, fortify, simplify • Hood order, condition, quality manhood, adulthood

11. ion, sion, tion act, result, or state of cancellation, contagion, infection • Ish origin, nature, resembling foolish, Irish, clownish, impish • Ism system, manner, condition alcoholism, communism, capitalism • Ist one who, that which artist, dentist, flautist • ity, ty state of, quality celebrity, captivity, clarity, poverty • Ive causing, making abusive, exhaustive, abortive • ize, ise make emphasize, exercise, bowdlerize • Ly like, manner of carelessly, fearlessly, hopelessly • Ment act of, state or, result containment, contentment • Ness state of carelessness, restlessness • Cide kill homicide, parricide, germicidal, ecocide

12. Commonly Confused Terms: • Viscous (thick and sticky) vicious • Restive (uncontrollable) restful • Effect affect • Compass (go around) compress • Indigenous indigent (poor) • ingenuous (innocent) ingenious (ingenuity) • Infer (deduce/conclude) imply (suggest-insinuate) • Insensible  insensitive • Elusive effusive (unrestrained)

13. Incredulous (credulous)disbelieving, very doubtful incredible (credible) difficult to believe • Difference Deference • Imitate Emulate • Engender Endanger • Ambiguous Ambivalent • Then than • Lie (down) lay (something down) • Extent (length) Extant (into existence)

14. Homonyms and Homophones Homonyms are words that are spelled and/or pronounced alike but have different meanings. Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings. For example, tobore (as in to cause someone to lose interest) is a homonym for to bore (to drill a hole). To bore is a homophone for boar (a wild swine). More familiar homophones include to, too, two; their, there, they're; and its, it's.

15. Commonly Confused Words and their uses: • Advice/AdviseAdvice is a noun. Advise is a verb. • Affect/EffectAffect is usually a verb. Effect is usually a noun. If you find yourself unsure of which one to use in a sentence, try substituting the word “effect” for “result.” Also substitute the word “influence” for “affect” to see if it works. • Among/AmongstAmong is the preferred and most common variant of this word in American English. Amongst is more common in British English. • Among/BetweenAmong expresses a collective or loose relationship of several items. Between expresses the relationship of one thing to another thing or to many other things. • Assure/Ensure/InsureAssure means to tell someone that something will definitely happen or is definitely true. Ensure means to guarantee or make sure of something. Insure means to take out an insurance policy. • Breath/BreatheBreath is a noun; it’s the air that goes in and out of your lungs:. Breathe is a verb; it means to exhale or inhale.

16. Capital/CapitolCapital has several meanings. It can refer to an uppercase letter, money, or a city where a seat of government is located. Capitol means the building where a legislature meets. • Complement/Compliment A complement is something that completes something else. It’s often used to describe things that go well together. A compliment is a nice thing to say to flatter someone. • Disinterested/UninterestedDisinterested means impartial. Uninterested means bored or not wanting to be involved with something. • Defence/DefenseDefense is standard in American English. Defence is found mainly in British English. • Emigrate/ImmigrateEmigrate means to move away from a city or country to live somewhere else. Immigrate means to move into a country from somewhere else. • E.g./I.e. These two Latin abbreviations are often mixed up, but e.g. means “for example,” while i.e. means “that is.” • Empathy/SympathyEmpathy is the ability to understand another person’s perspective or feelings. Sympathy is a feeling of sorrow for someone else’s suffering. A sympathizer is someone who agrees with a particular ideal or cause.

17. Farther/FurtherFarther refers to physical distance. Further refers to metaphorical distance. • Gray/GreyGray is the standard American English spelling. Grey is the standard British English spelling. Both are correct. • Historic/HistoricalHistoric means famous, important, and influential. Historical means related to history. • Imply/InferImply means to hint at something without saying it directly. Infer means to deduce something that hasn’t been stated directly or hinted at. • It’s/ItsIt’s is a contraction of “it is”. Its is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to it.” • Lead/LedLead, when it rhymes with “bed,” refers to a type of metal. Led is the past tense of the verb to lead. • Loose/LoseLoose is usually an adjective which means unrestrained or unfastened.  Lose is always a verb. • Principal/PrinciplePrincipal can be a noun or adjective. As a noun, it refers to the person in charge of a school or organization. As an adjective, it means most important.

18. Inquiry/EnquiryInquiry and enquiry both mean “a request for information.” Inquiry is the standard American English spelling. Enquiry is the British spelling. • Than/ThenThan is used for comparisons. Then is used to indicate time or sequence. • Their/There/They’reTheir is the possessive form of “they.” There indicates a place or location. They’re is a contraction of “they are.” • To/TooTo is a preposition that can indicate direction. To is also used in the infinitive form of verbs. Too is used to mean “also.” • Toward/TowardsToward is standard in American English. Towards is standard in British English. • Who’s/WhoseWho’s is a contraction of “who is.” Whose is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to [someone].”

19. Group Jargon • The term "jargon" refers to any in-group or specialized language used by small groups of like-minded individuals. This terminology is usually specialized to the function of the group, and will be used by and among group members as a sign of belonging, status, and for keeping out outsiders. • When making the choice of what vocabulary to use, you should first and foremost consider the audience that you are addressing: • If you are writing for a general audience (even an general academic audience) you should avoid using in-group jargon without explanations. Overloading your audience with words they do not understand will not help you achieve your purpose. • For example, if you are writing a paper explaining concepts in linguistics to an audience of non-linguists, you might introduce and explain a few important terms. But you wouldn't use those terms without an explanation or in a way your audience wouldn't understand. • If, however, you are writing to an in-group audience you will want to use group-specific jargon. Not using the jargon when it is expected by your audience can signal to the audience that you are not a member of that group or have not mastered the group's terminology. This will most likely damage your credibility and interfere with your purpose in writing.

20. Slang and Idiomatic Expressions • You should avoid using slang (words like y'all, yinz, cool) or idiomatic expressions ("pull someone's leg," "spill the beans," and "something smells fishy") in formal academic writing. These words make your writing sound informal, and hence, less credible. • Times do exist, however, when the use of slang and idiomatic expressions are appropriate. Think about who your audience is, what they expect, and how the use of these words may help or hinder your purpose. If you are writing a very informal or humorous piece, slang or idiomatic expressions may be appropriate.

21. Sources: • Link to game on Latin and Greek Roots: https://www.quia.com/fc/223.html • Matching Game: for Latin and Greek Roots: https://www.quia.com/mc/223.html • Vocabulary Games: http://www.ivocabulary.com/sat_vocabulary.php • https://msu.edu/~defores1/gre/hom_usg/gre_conf_wrds.htm • http://www.ivocabulary.com/ • https://www.grammarly.com/blog/commonly-confused-words/