Business English: A Practice Book

Chapter IV Word Analysis

To learn English words thoroughly we must spend some thought on the way in which they are made up, on the language from which they have been derived, and on the changes in meaning made by adding prefixes and suffixes. Three important influences in building the English have been the Anglo-Saxon, the Greek, and the Latin languages. The simplest words in the language are Anglo-Saxon. The following exercises illustrate how words have been multiplied by Anglo-Saxon prefixes and suffixes.

Exercise 46

Name as many words as you can that make use of each of the following prefixes. Give only such as are recognizable English words without the prefix.

a—aboard	mis—misjudge
be—becalm	un—unknown
fore—foretell	up—uproot

Give the meaning of each of the prefixes used above.

What part of speech does each prefix make?

Exercise 47

Using the following Teutonic suffixes, form English words. Be careful that the root taken alone is an English word.

dom—kingdom	ness—goodness
hood—manhood	ship—friendship

What does each suffix mean?

What part of speech does it make?

Exercise 48

As above, form words using the following suffixes:

en—darken	ful—fearful
en—golden	ly—smoothly
ish—sweetish	like—childlike
less—fearless	some—lonesome

Define each suffix.

What part of speech does it make?

Exercise 49—Greek Roots

Below is given a list of common Greek roots with the English meaning of each. Form words using one or more of the roots for each word, and define the words you make. For instance, give the meaning of telephone, telegraph, and monarch.

Greek English	Greek English
phon—hear	chron—time
tele—far	cycl—circle
graph—write	geo—earth
scop—see	polit—government
micro—small	cra—rule
mono—one	demo—people
arch—chief	hydro—water
metr—measure	poly—many
baro—pressure, weight	pluto—riches

How many names of modern inventions have you made?

Exercise 50

What words belonging to your vocabulary end in the following suffixes? Choose only such as have an English word for the root.

Adjective Suffixes

1. able, ible—able to be, fit to be
Readable, fit to be read.
2. al, eal, ial—relating to, having to do with
3. ant, ent—being, inclined to
4. ate—having the quality of, inclined to
5. ic—like, relating to
6. ive—relating to, of the nature of, belonging to
7. ory, ary—relating to
8. ous—full of, abounding in

Verb Suffixes

1. ate—to make
2. fy, ify—to make
3. ise, ize—to make

Noun Suffixes

1. age—condition, act, collection of
2. ance, ancy, ence, ency—state of being
3. ary, ory—one who, place where, that which
4. ant, ent—one who
5. ist, ite—one who
6. ion, sion, tion—act of, state of being
7. ity, ty—quality of being
8. ment—that which, act or state of being
9. or, er, ar—one who
10. try—state of
11. tude, itude—condition of being
12. ure—condition of being, that which

Exercise 51

The following is a list of the more commonly used Latin prefixes:

1. a, ab—away from	16. intro—toward the inside
2. ad—toward	17. mono—one
3. ante—before	18. non—not
4. anti—against	19. ob—in the way of, against
5. bi—two, twice	20. per—through
6. circum—around	21. pre—before
7. con—together with, against	22. post—after
8. contra—against	23. pro—before
9. de—from, apart from, down from	24. re—again, back
10. dis—apart, not	25. semi—half, partly
11. dia—through	26. se—away from
12. ex—out of	27. sub—under, below
13. in, en—into	28. super—above, more than
en—to cause to be	29. trans—across
14. in, un—not	30. uni—one
15. inter—between

Exercise 52

Analyze the following words, telling prefix, root, suffix, part of speech, and meaning:

business	package	truthfulness	unsuccessful
useless	anteroom	workmanlike	agreement
prefix	monotone	nervousness	uniformity
beautify	breakage	disrespectful	misguidance
semicircle	pleasant	perfection	crystallize
kingship	sameness	progressive	precaution
incase	subway	undeniable	imaginary
enrich	disown	displeasure	supernatural
pianist	readmit	endurance	melodious
bicycle	adjuster	reaction	interlineal

Exercise 53

When the prefixes ad, con, and in are used to form English words, the final consonant of each is often changed to the initial consonant of the root to which it is joined.

Ad assumes the forms ab, ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as, at, assimilating the d with the first letter of the word to which it is prefixed; as,

ab-breviate	al-literation	ar-rest
ac-cept	al-lot	as-sign
ac-cumulate	an-nex	as-sist
af-fect	an-nounce	at-tract
af-flict	ap-position	at-tribute
ag-gregate	ap-prove	at-tune

Con assumes the forms col, cor, com, by assimilation; it takes the form com before p; and it drops the n before a vowel; as,

col-lateral	com-mercial	com-pose
col-lect	cor-relate	co-operate
com-mission	cor-respond	co-ordinate

In assumes the forms il, im, ir, by assimilation and takes the form of im before p.

il-lusion im-migrate ir-ruption im-port

Exercise 54—Peculiar Adjective Endings

The suffixes able and ible are sometimes troublesome because it is difficult to know which ending to write. As a rule, if the new word was made from another English word, the ending is able, as blamable. The words ending in ible are derived from the Latin, and, as a rule, the ending cannot easily be separated from the root and still leave the latter an English word. Examples are:

divisible	intelligible	digestible	audible
visible	permissible	flexible	incredible
possible	terrible	horrible	indelible

The suffixes ant and ent must also be carefully noted. No rule can be given for using one rather than the other. Whenever in doubt, consult a dictionary. Note the following:

ant	ent
important	independent
pleasant	convalescent
triumphant	competent
luxuriant	convenient
stagnant	confident

The endings eous and ious, where e and i are often confused, are illustrated in the following:

eous	ious
hideous	delirious
miscellaneous	impious
courteous	studious

The endings cious and tious are shown in the following:

cious	tious
conscious	fictitious
precious	superstitious
delicious	cautious
gracious	ambitious
suspicious	nutritious

The endings gious and geous are illustrated in the following:

gious	geous
religious	courageous

Exercise 55—Peculiar Noun and Verb Endings

Nouns in ance and ence:

ance	ence
acceptance	intelligence
appearance	reference
annoyance	patience
acquaintance	negligence
remittance	diligence
ignorance	residence

Nouns in sion, cion, and tion:

sion	cion	tion
exclusion	coercion	acquisition
aversion	suspicion	precaution

Verbs in ise, yze, and ize:

ise	yze	ize
advise	analyze	baptize
supervise	paralyze	recognize

Verbs in ceed, sede, and cede:

ceed	sede	cede
exceed	supersede	concede
proceed		intercede
succeed		precede

Exercise 56

What other words can you form from the following? Explain what prefixes or suffixes you use in each case and what part of speech you form.

success	consider	real	change
please	doubt	publish	attend
occur	apply	regular	satisfy
emphasize	industry	operate	assess
second	busy	practice	resist
expense	distribute	organ	define
depend	locate	work	sense
attract	install	desire	preside
effect	vital	count	sign

Exercise 57

There are many words the meanings of which are easily confused. The spelling and the definitions of such must be mastered. Analysis in this exercise and in the one following does not require separation into prefix, root, and suffix, but it necessitates a careful study of the words, first, to note the difference in spelling; second, to consult a dictionary, if necessary, for the difference in meaning.

Define each word clearly.

Use each in a sentence to illustrate its meaning.

accept—except	common—mutual
add—annex	complementary—complimentary
advice—advise	continual—continuous
affect—effect	contraction—abbreviation
after—afterward	contradiction—denial
ascend—assent	currant—current
assure—promise	defective—deficient
attain—obtain	deprecate—depreciate
benefit—advantage	effective—efficient
brief—concise	eligible—illegible
center—middle	eminent—prominent
claim—maintain	expect—hope
combine—combination	intelligent—intelligible

Exercise 58

As above, define each word carefully and use it in a sentence to illustrate its meaning.

healthful—healthy	proficient—efficient
inventory—invoice	proscribe—prescribe
invite—invitation	purpose—propose
last—latest	quiet—quite
later—latter	recommend—recommendation
liable—likely—apt	refer—allude
loose—lose	repair—fix
need—want	requirement—requisite—requisition
perspective—prospective	respectfully—respectively
positive—definite	scarcely—hardly
practicable—practical	stationary—stationery
precede—proceed	therefore—accordingly
principal—principle

500 SPELLING WORDS

Lesson 1

business	losing	surprising	height
receive	loosely	Saturday	depth
believe	across	Wednesday	eighth
wholly	whether	excellent	daily
obliged	describe	exercise	earnest

Lesson 2

attached	decision	probable	seize
attacked	buying	usable	siege
gentlemen	studying	salable	friend
although	relying	desirable	Messrs.
thoroughly	occasion	honorable	nickel

Lesson 3

disappoint	knew	acquittal	stopped
disappear	design	occurrence	referred
disapprove	forty	compelling	planned
disagree	fourth	beginning	swimming
anxious	purpose	permitted	submitted

Lesson 4

all right	persuade	Norwegian	variety
already	pursued	possession	prairie
tongue	prepared	accumulate	neighbor
separate	repaired	dissatisfy	soldier
crystal	necessary	dissolve	shoulder

Lesson 5

their	awkward	opportunity	scheme
advise	mucilage	development	schedule
advice	familiar	statistics	accurately
laboratory	peculiar	accidental	efficient
until	similar	competent	Spaniard

Lesson 6

policy	patient	merchandise	conscious
rough	ancient	mercantile	precious
disease	partial	scarcity	suspicion
balance	facial	indebted	physician
decease	ambitious	estimate	caution

Lesson 7

ascend	noticeable	vengeance	emergency
assent	serviceable	address	compliance
minute	manageable	salary	reference
conceal	exchangeable	currency	apparel
immense	advantageous	withhold	typical

Lesson 8

edition	especially	appreciate	imitate
addition	pamphlet	essential	initial
identify	illustrate	eligible	official
illegal	February	legible	curtain
nuisance	punctual	illegible	adjacent

Lesson 9

later	crystallize	lieutenant	lenient
latter	neutralize	anthracite	naphtha
weighed	conceit	bituminous	liquid
destroy	catarrh	rheumatism	gauge
indelible	colonel	influential	sieve

Lesson 10

duly	interfered	analyze	attorneys
durable	transferred	analysis	specialty
mutual	reconcile	paralyze	sympathy
bargain	accidental	banana	campaign
misspell	irregular	molasses	mattress

Lesson 11

ached	designate	vicinity	recognize
social	available	guardian	technical
forfeit	adequately	celebrate	hygiene
opposite	subordinate	porcelain	angel
parallel	sufficient	poultice	angle

Lesson 12

society	associate	rumored	remittance
sirloin	definitely	courtesy	remuneration
laborer	spherical	obstinacy	restaurant
visitor	commercial	financial	government
souvenir	permissible	sapphire	acquaintance

Lesson 13

quite	appropriate	convenient	knowledge
least	distinguish	exaggerate	principal, a
written	mysterious	confidential	stationary, a
among	appearance	endeavoring	judgment
psalm	conference	immediately	implement

Lesson 14

assure	greatly	embarrassment	auxiliary
expect	grateful	organization	conciliate
prompt	deserve	advertisement	principle, n
eliminate	bureau	assessment	stationery, n
illuminate	deficient	accommodate	parenthesis

Lesson 15

coupon	indispensable	measure	proprietor
length	innumerable	condemn	transient
vehicle	investigate	security	persistent
customer	incandescent	liniment	signature
costumer	effervescent	mosquito	mischievous

Lesson 16

canal	company’s	repetition	sulphur
channel	real estate	abbreviated	benefited
liquid	equivalent	unabridged	unanimous
recent	assignment	assurance	itemize
trough	extravagant	pneumatic	calcimine

Lesson 17

precede	freight	authority	leisure
proceed	achieve	mortgage	neuralgia
procession	between	specimen	dyspepsia
precision	imagine	solicitor	substantial
extinguish	autumn	coöperates	passenger

Lesson 18

merely	mechanical	preliminary	omitted
cashier	permanent	miscellaneous	omission
urgent	prominent	subscription	committee
hesitate	precaution	incredible	commission
anchored	interval	anticipation	precisely

Lesson 19

specify	preparation	athletics	deceit
equity	coincidence	excursion	receipt
accrue	irresolute	suggestion	obstacle
concrete	vaccination	courageous	promissory
summary	glycerine	concession	compulsory

Lesson 20

deficit	sceptical	anniversary	rhythm
mansion	conscience	presumption	rhubarb
mention	interruption	guaranteed	fatigue
reckoned	approximately	prejudice	synopsis
license	avoirdupois	privilege	emphatic

Lesson 21

scholar	Elkhart	industrious	collision
scissors	Memphis	hideous	delusion
career	Niagara	artificial	oxygen
sincere	Raleigh	cantaloupe	martyr
chiffonier	Oregon	unscrupulous	apology

Lesson 22

receipt	Cincinnati	sovereign	chemical
welfare	Des Moines	committee	frontier
feigned	Decatur	ingredients	fulfilled
chord	Dubuque	counterfeit	facsimile
scythe	Alleghany	responsible	identical

Lesson 23

exceed	Paducah	foreign	Cheyenne
succeed	Eau Claire	solemnity	metallic
secede	Peoria	assassinate	nauseated
immigrant	Savannah	pneumonia	invariably
emigrant	Manila	diphtheria	injurious

Lesson 24

adoption	Minneapolis	fraudulent	mahogany
scientific	Indianapolis	negligence	corduroy
guidance	Syracuse	diligence	Schenectady
syllable	Milwaukee	ridiculous	duplicate
Fort Wayne	Valparaiso	comparative	reënforce

Lesson 25

Duluth	Massachusetts	preferable	periodical
Missouri	Connecticut	preferred	insertion
Wisconsin	enthusiastic	publicity	excursion
luxurious	acknowledgment	prevailing	plateau
twelfth	professional	damageable	tragedy