English Word Skills Exercises for A2 – Prefixes

1. Complete the text with the prefixes below.

ex      micro      multi      over      sub      under

COLLEGE drop-out

James Cameron is one of Hollywood’s most successful directors. His 1………………………-award winning films include The Terminator, Titanic and Avatar. When he isn’t directing, he works as a scientist and explores the deepest parts of the ocean in a 2………………………marine. But he 3………………………achieved as a physics student, leaving university without a degree. After working as a lorry driver, he then worked in special effects before becoming a director. Some 4………………………-colleagues describe him as a difficult person to work with. However, others say that he is just a perfectionist who tries to 5………………………manage every aspect of his films and sometimes 6………………………reacts when things go wrong.

2. Complete the sentences with the prefixes below.

co      mini      mis      multi      over      post      re      semi

1   My day is …………-retired - he still works two or three mornings a week.

2   The company lost millions because of …………management at the highest level.

3   Six of my …………-workers have lost their jobs in the past year.

4   My last proper holiday from work was four years ago, although I’ve had a few …………-breaks.

5   If we can’t find the right person for the job, we’ll just have to …………-advertise.

6   She finished her university degree and then did a …………graduate qualification.

7   She never stops for lunch: she just drinks coffee and takes …………vitamin pills!

8   I don’t want to sound …………confident, but I’m sure I’ll be good at this job.

3. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use one word only, beginning with a prefix from exercise 1 or 2.

1   You cooked this meat for too long.

      You overcooked this meat.

2   Our team did not perform well enough last season.

     Our team …………………………………….. last season.

3   I met a former school friend in a café in town.

     I met an …………………………………….. in a café in town.

4   She’s an expert in history after World War II.

     She’s an expert in …………………………………….. history.

5   I’m sorry, I typed your name incorrectly.

     I’m sorry, I …………………………………….. your name.

6   They bought the house, but sold it again a year later.

      They bought the house, but …………………………………….. it a year later.

7   Ben Stiller wrote Zoolander with two other writers.

      Ben Stiller and two other writers …………………………………….. Zoolander.

VOCAB BOOST!

You can use mind maps for groups of words that are connected. Mind maps are particularly useful for people who have a visual memory.

4. Read the Vocab boost! box. Add these words and phrases to the mind-map for jobs

answer the phone      badly-paid      gardener      hairdresser

lorry driver      paramedic      programmer      receptionist

repetitive      serve customers      tiring      well-paid

5. What are the sentences about? Add a prefix to the words in bold to make one word with the same meaning as the sentence.

1   He was her husband, but now he isn’t. …………………………..

2   We are workers in the same company. …………………………..

3   We took a small bus to the hotel. …………………………..

4   There is an extremely small processor in your phone. …………………………..

5   I hope they don’t interpret what I say in the wrong way. …………………………..

6   He is a great performer. He’s talented in many ways. …………………………..

7   We need to do this again - it isn’t right. …………………………..

8   Don’t work too much! …………………………..