Character Words with Negative Prefixes

Character words with negative prefixes games

Character words with negative prefixes jigsaw game instructions for teachers

Cut up the worksheet into cards, but make sure that each card has at least two boxes (e.g. “in-” and “un-” on one card) so that students can put them back together without having to know all the words. Especially with weaker classes, you can also have at least some cards with three, four or even five boxes. It is best if the left-hand column and right-hand column are cut in different places. Give out the mixed-up cards and ask students to put them together so that all the opposites are correct.

If students find putting the table into order difficult:

• Tell them that it should make two nice rectangles
• Give them some key answers
• Ask them to think about if there any patterns
• Tell them not to touch the cards while you read out all the answers or let them look at the worksheet, then let them try again

When they have checked their answers, they can test each other in pairs by:

• Reading out words with the same negative prefix missing until their partner guesses that negative prefix
• Reading out single words with the negative prefix missing
• Reading out negative prefixes and helping their partner make suitable negatives with it

The presentation below can be done before or after testing each other.

For free speaking, you could get students to take turns adding one positive adjective to a description of their friend/ father/ girlfriend/ music teacher etc and one negative adjective to that of their partner. When they have finished, another group says which person sounds best (or probably which sounds least bad).

 

Character words with negative prefixes speaking instructions for teachers

Character words war

In pairs, students take turns describing their own brother/ romantic partner/ grandparent with a positive word and their partner’s with a negative word. They can’t repeat exactly the same words as have been used before, but they can use the opposite of a word which has been used. When you stop the game, they should discuss which person sounds worse and why.

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Character words with negative prefixes presentation for students

First of all without looking at the cards, try to answer these questions:

Which negative prefixes are most common? Which of those is number one?

 

What letters usually comes after “im-”? Do those letters always have “im-” before them, or are other negative prefixes sometimes possible?

 

Which letter follows “il-” and “ir-”?

 

What other negative prefix(es) are there?

 

Cards to cut up/ Suggested answers

un	adaptable
un	adventurous
un	affectionate
un	ambitious
un	approachable
un	caring
in	competent
in	considerate
un	conventional
un	creative
in	dependent
un	diplomatic
in	efficient
in	flexible
un	friendly
un	helpful
un	intelligent
un	interesting
un	kind
il	logical
im	modest
un	motivated
dis	obedient
dis	organised
im	patient
im	polite
im	practical
un	punctual
un	reliable
ir	religious
in	sensitive
un	sociable
un	sympathetic
un	systematic
un	tidy
un	trustworthy