domingo, 29 de mayo de 2016
lunes, 23 de mayo de 2016
Unit 5 Reading and use of English - Negative prefixes
Prefixes
The most comon used with adjectives are:
dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, and un-.
Others:
a-,anti-, counter-, mal-, and non-.
The prefixes im-, il-, and ir- are a variety if IN
The most comon used with adjectives are:
dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, and un-.
Others:
a-,anti-, counter-, mal-, and non-.
The prefixes im-, il-, and ir- are a variety if IN
What's the difference between dis- and mis- or between un- and non-? This negative prefix list can help you understand the important prefixes at the beginnings of words that can change a word's meaning into its opposite.I
- dis-
- in- (or il-, im-, or ir-)
- mis-
- un-
Negative Prefix List: Uses
- De- is almost always used before a verb, or a word formed from that verb, and means to reverse the verb’s action, as in dehydrate, deregulate, or detoxify. (It has other meanings in addition to making a verb negative. For example, it means 'down' in decline, decrease, and depression.)
- Dis- can be used with verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs. It also has other meanings besides making words negative.
- In-, non-, and un- are usually used for nouns, adjectives, or the adverbs formed from them (though un- is also used for verbs.) They all mean not _____. (In- is the negative prefix in Latin. non- means 'not' in Latin, and many words using it as a prefix came into English via French. Un- comes from Old English.)
- Mis- (often from Old English, or in some words from French) is used with verbs (and adjectives and adverbs made from them), as well as nouns. It means bad, wrong, or wrongly.
- Non- usually means not, but also may mean lack of something.
- Un- is the most common negative prefix in English. If in doubt, it's the best one to try. Even many words originally from Latin roots are negated in English with 'un.'
Note that sometimes one prefix is used for an adjective, and different ones are used for related nouns or verbs.
For example:
- unable, inability, (to) disable;
- unbalanced, imbalance, (to) unbalance;
- unstable, instability, (to) destabilize.
- To deactivate is to make something inactive.
Usually, however, the same prefix serves both adjective and noun: uncertain, uncertainty; unwilling, unwillingness; unfriendly, unfriendliness, inadequate, inadequacy, disloyal, disloyalty, etc.
Examples:
1. De-
Examples: deactivate, decode, decommission, decompose, deconstruct, decontaminate, decrease, deflate, deflect, deform, demythologize, derail, detract.
The list above is all verbs. Any of them could be made into adjectives by adding -ed (or -d if the verb ends in 'e' already: decoded, deflated, etc.) Several could also be made into nouns: deactivation, decomposition, decontamination, deflation, etc. Decrease can be used as a noun as it is.
Note that the prefix de- in Latin (and in words that originate in Latin) has other, contrary meanings as well as sometimes making words negative. (See List of Prefixes.) It is often used as an intensifier, meaning completely (as in demand), as well as meaning from, down, or away. When used with an English verb to make a new word, it works as a negative. (Debug, defrost, devalue.)
2. Dis-
Examples (verb/ adjective/ noun or vb/ adj when all or both are common): disaffected (adj.), disable/ disabled/ disability, disagree/ disagreeable/ disagreement, disbelief (noun), disfigure/ disfigured, dishonor/ dishonored/ dishonorable, disinfect/ disinfected, disinfection, disinherit/ disinherited, disintegrate/ disintegrated/ disintegration, disloyal (adj.) and disloyalty (noun), displease/ displeased or displeasing/ displeasure, disproportionate (adj.), distasteful (adj.) and distaste (noun), distrust (verb or noun)/ distrustful (adj.).
(Tasteful refers to something that shows good taste or judgment. Things which are pleasant to the taste buds are ‘tasty.’ Distasteful refers to tasks that are unpleasant. Foods that lack flavor are tasteless. A lack of good taste in aesthetics can also be called tasteless.)
3. In- (or il-, im-, or ir-)
In- often changes to 'il-' before l; 'im-' before b, m, or p; and 'ir-' before r. These changes make it easier to pronounce.
Adjective Examples: illegal, illegible, illiterate, illogical, immature, impatient, imperfect, impossible, imprecise, inaccessible, inaccurate, inadequate, inappropriate, incapable, incoherent, incompatible, incomplete, inconceivable, inconsistent, incredible, indefinite, indiscreet, inevitable, infinite, inflexible, insecure, insignificant, insubordinate, insufficient, invalid, invariable, invisible, involuntary, irrational, irregular, irrelevant, irreparable, irresistible, irresponsible, irreversible, etc.
A few noun examples using the same roots: illegibility, illiteracy, immaturity, impatience, imperfection, impossibility, imprecision, inaccessibility, inaccuracy, inadequacy, inappropriateness, incapability, incoherence, incompatibility, incompleteness, inconsistency, indiscretion, inevitability, infinity, inflexibility, insecurity, insignificance, insubordination, insufficiency, invalidity, invariability, invisibility, irrationality, irregularity, irrelevance, irresponsibility.
Most of these do not have verb forms.
Exceptions in which ‘in-‘ does not negate, but intensifies: Inflammable has the same meaning as flammable-- something that burns easily. Their opposite is nonflammable. The same is true for habitable and inhabitable (the negative is uninhabitable).
Valuable and invaluable also are synonyms— except that invaluable is even stronger. It means something is priceless: so valuable that a person would not want to give it up for any amount of money.
4. Mis-
Examples: misconduct (noun), misdemeanor(noun), misdiagnose (to diagnose wrongly)/ misdiagnosed/ misdiagnosis, misinform/ misinformed/ misinformation, misinterpret/ misinterpreted/ misinterpretation, mislead/ misled or misleading, misplace/ misplaced, misspell/ misspelled/ misspelling, mistake/ mistaken/ mistake, mistrust (both a noun and a verb, but weaker than distrust), misunderstand/ misunderstood/ misunderstanding..
Note that a misdiagnosed disease is diagnosed incorrectly, as compared to an undiagnosed disease, which has not been diagnosed at all. Similarly, a misinformed person has been given wrong information, while an uninformed person simply does not know much about a subject.
5. Non-
Examples-- nouns: nonconformist or nonconformity, nonentity, nonexistence, nonintervention, nonsense, etc.
Adjectives: nonconforming, nonexistent, nonmetallic, nonpartisan, nonresident, nonrestrictive (but unrestricted), nonsensical, nonstop.
I can't think of any verbs that begin with non-.
Some words can be negated either with non- or with another negative. In those cases non- has a more neutral connotation. For example, nonstandard means not according to the usual standard, but substandard is below the standard: not good. Nonreligious means not religious, but irreligious means more actively opposed to religion.
6. Un-
(Adjective) Examples: unable, unacknowledged, unaffected (not affected at all; disaffected means affected badly), unafraid, unaided, unaltered or unalterable, unambiguous, unanticipated, unapproachable, unassigned, unattainable, unavailable, unaware, unceasing, uncertain, unclear, unconventional, uncooperative, uncoordinated, unenforced, unexposed, unfocused, unfriendly*, unhelpful, uninformed, unknown, unmodified, unnatural, unpleasant, unpredictable, unprofessional, unrealistic, unrefined, unresolved, unrestricted, unscheduled, unstable, untouched, unwilling, unwise, etc.
*(in this case -ly isn’t for an adverb. Both friendly & unfriendly are adjectives)
A few of these have related nouns including unavailability, unawareness, uncertainty, unenforceability, unpleasantness, unpredictability, unreality, and untouchability, as well as inability, instability, and irresolution.
Very few are verbs: undo and (only informally, on Facebook) unfriend.
martes, 17 de mayo de 2016
domingo, 15 de mayo de 2016
Unit 3 Grammar - Present Tenses
DESCRIBING
HABITUAL ACTIONS
1. HABITUAL ACTIONS IN
THE PRESENT
I.
PRESENT SIMPLE
II.
OTHER WAYS
a.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS + ALWAYS
b. WILL + INFINITIVE
c.
KEEP + ING
2. HABITUAL ACTIONS IN
THE PAST
I.
PAST SIMPLE
II.
USED TO + INFINITIVE
III.
WOULD + INFINITIVE
IV.
USED TO-BE USED TO-GET USED TO
1-
I. THIS IS THE USUAL WAY OF EXPRESING PRESENT
HABITUAL ACTIONS:
Whenever I go to town, I spend too much money.
TEND TO + INFINITIVE:
The verb tend
to + infinitive can be used to refer to usual or generally occurring
actions.
She tends to get up late at weekends
II-THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESING HABITUAL ACTIONS IN THE PRESENT:
a.
THIS IS USED MAINLY TO REFER TO ACTION WHICH ARE TOO
FREQUENT:
He
is always giving me presents
IT IS ALSO USED WHEN YOU ARE ANNOYED WITH YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE:
You
are always complaining about my cooking
b.
THIS CAN BE USED INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT SIMPLE TO
REFER TO BEHAVIOUR WHICH IS PREDICTABLE OR TYPICAL:
I
will sit for hours watching TV.
c.
THIS IS USED FOR HABITUAL ACTIONS WHICH ARE ACCIDENTAL
OR ANNOYING:
I
keep bumping my head on that tree.
2-
I. WHEN A PAST
SIMPLE VERB REFERS TO HABITUAL O REPEATED ACTIONS IT CAN BE ACCOMPANIED BY A
FREQUENCY EXPRESSION:
When I worked in London, I usually
got home at six o´clock
II.THIS REFERS
TO HABITUAL PAST ACTIONS WHICH NO LONGER HAPPEN:
Before I had car, I used to cycle to
work.
IT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR ACTIONS THAT
DID NOT HAPPEN BEFORE, BUT HAPPEN NOW:
I didn´t use to have foreign
holidays. Now I go abroad every year.
NOTES:
i.
Remember the question form of used to:
WHERE DID YOU USE TO GO FOR YOUR HOLIDAYS?
ii.
Sentences with used to do not need frequency adverbs,
but they are sometimes included for emphasis.
I ALWAYS USED TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL.
III.
THIS REFERS TO HABITUAL PAST ACTIONS:
Every
summer our parents would take us to the seaside.
Do not uses would in questions and negative sentences, as its meaning
can be completely different.
NOTE: there is a difference in meaning between USED TO
and WOULD:
USED TO can refer to permanent situations as well as habitual actions:
I used to be able to see the church from my bedroom window.
WOULD can only refer to actions, not situations. You can say:
He’d catch
the 7.30 train, but you cannot say He’d work in London.
IV.
USED TO +
INFINITIVE
REFERS
TO HABITUAL PAST ACTIONS:
My
father used to get up at 5 a.m.
BE USED TO + ING
MEANS
TO BE ACCUSTOMED TO:
I
must go to bed early. I´m used to having ten hours sleep at night.
GET USED TO + ING
MEANS
TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO, OFTEN TO SOMETHING UNUSUAL OR STRANGE:
If
you come to England, you´ll have to get used to driving on the left hand side
of the road.
NOTE: Other common verbs which follow the
same pattern are look FORWARD TO and OBJECT TO.
sábado, 7 de mayo de 2016
Unit 4 Vocabulary - Phrasal verbs with BRING
bring
something about
to make something happen
synonym
cause
What
brought about the change in his attitude?
bring
back somebody | bring back something | bring somebody back | bring something
back
to return
somebody/something
Please
bring back all library books by the end of the week.
He
brought me back (= gave me a ride
home) in his car.
bring
something back
to make somebody remember something or think about it
again
The
photographs brought back many pleasant memories.
to make something that existed before be introduced
again
synonym
reintroduce
Most
people are against bringing back the death penalty.
bring
somebody something back | bring something back (for somebody)
to return with something for somebody
What
did you bring the kids back from Italy?
I
brought a T-shirt back for Mark.
bring
something down
to reduce
something
We
aim to bring down prices on all our computers.
to land an aircraft
The
pilot managed to bring the plane down in a field.
to make an aircraft fall out of the sky
Twelve
enemy fighters had been brought down.
bring something forward
to move
something to an earlier date or time
The
meeting has been brought forward from 10 May to 3 May.
to suggest something for discussion
Please
bring the matter forward at the next meeting.
to move a total sum from the bottom of one page or
column of numbers to the top of the next
A
credit balance of $50 was brought forward from his September account.
bring
in somebody | bring in something | bring somebody in | bring something in
to introduce a new law
They
want to bring in a bill to limit arms exports.
to attract somebody/something to a place or business
We
need to bring in a lot more new business.
to give a decision in court
The
jury brought in a verdict of guilty.
bring
somebody out
(British
English) to make people go on strike
bring
something out
to make
something appear
A
crisis brings out the best in her.
to make something easy to see or understand
That
dress really brings out the colour of your eyes.
to produce
something; to publish something
The
band have just brought out their second album.
bring
somebody round(British English)
(North American English bring somebody around)
(also bring somebody to)
to make somebody who is unconscious become conscious
again
bring
somebody round (to…)(British English)
(North American English bring somebody around)
to bring somebody to somebody’s house
Bring
the family round one evening. We'd love to meet them.
bring
somebody round (to something)(British English)
(North American English bring somebody around)
to persuade somebody to agree to something
He
didn't like the plan at first, but we managed to bring him round.
bring
somebody up
[often
passive] to care for a child, teaching him or her how to behave, etc.
synonym raise
She
brought up five children.
He
was brought up by his aunt.
a
well/badly brought up child
bring
somebody up to do something They were brought up to (= taught as children to)
respect authority.
+
noun I was brought up a Catholic.
related noun upbringing
(law) to make
somebody appear for trial
He
was brought up on a charge of drunken driving.
bring
something up
to mention a
subject or start to talk about it
synonym raise
Bring
it up at the meeting.
to vomit
to
bring up your lunch
to make something appear on a computer screen
Click
with the right mouse button to bring up a new menu.
domingo, 1 de mayo de 2016
Unit 4 Grammar The future 1 page 49
LIKELY probable or expectedthe most likely outcomea likely scenarioa likely Oscar nomineelikely (to do something) Tickets are likely to be expensive.likely (that…) It's more than likely that the thieves don't know how much it is worth.They might refuse to let us do it, but it's hardly likely.
bound to do/be something certain or likely to happen, or to do or be somethingThere are bound to be changes when the new system is introduced.It's bound to be sunny again tomorrow.You've done so much work—you're bound to pass the exam.It was bound to happen sooner or later (= we should have expected it).You're bound to be nervous the first time (= it's easy to understand).
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)