Word Structure

1. Word Structure High School 101

2. Vocabulary Strategy: Word Structure • One important way to build vocabulary is to learn the meaning of word parts that make up many English words. These word parts consist of Prefixes, suffixes, and roots, or bases. A useful strategy for determining the meaning of an unknown word is to “take apart” the word and think about the parts.

3. Prefix

4. Noun Suffix

5. Verb Suffix

6. Adjective Suffix

7. Base or Root • A base or root is the main part of a word to which prefixes and suffixes may be added. Many roots come to English from Latin. Knowing Greek and Latin roots can help students determine the meaning of a word.

8. Greek Root

9. Greek Root Cont.

10. Greek Root Cont.

11. Latin Root

12. Latin Root Cont.

13. Latin Root Cont.

14. Denotation, Connotation, & Shades of Meaning • The denotation of a word is its specific dictionary meaning. • The connotation of a word is its tone-that is, the emotions or associations it normally arouses in people using, hearing, or reading it. Depending on what these feelings are, the connotation of a word may be favorable (positive) or unfavorable (negative). A word that does not arouse strong feelings of any kind has a neutral connotation; like the word travel.

15. Your Assignment • With a classmate, you two will decide on which thinking map to use to redeliver these information. • The map should be clear as to what is being delivered. In other words, everyone who looks at it should know what’s being presented. • Don’t limit yourself by only using one type of thinking map. You may combine different thinking maps together to better present the vast information from your notes.