Words can change their meaning with
the simple addition of prefixes or suffixes derived from Latin or Greek words.
Take the word LOVE, as a noun love is a feeling of deep affection and as a verb
it means directing that affection towards a specific person; add the suffix –LY
and the word becomes an adjective which describes something in a positive way
such as beautiful or very nice.
Roots and root-words are different. A root-word can
be a standalone word whereas a root, even though it still has meaning, cannot
stand alone without the prefix or suffix. By learning the meanings of the many
roots and root-words, you can expand your understanding and comprehension of
whatever you are reading.
You can find extensive lists of roots
and their meanings online, among them are sites such as https://www.learnthat.org/pages/view/roots.html
and http://www.readingrockets.org/article/root-words-roots-and-affixes.
Modern English went through many
changes before getting to where it is today and there were a lot of influences
from different languages including Latin, Greek, German, Dutch, French, Russian
and more. It’s a complicated language with several spelling rules and even more
exceptions.
I before E except after C is the rule in thief,
believe, deceive, and ceiling. But
then there are words such as weird
and protein and also efficient and
ancient. Make plural from words
ending in Y by changing the Y to IES, but when the letter before the Y is a vowel, just add an S as
in babies, doilies, delays and guys. Adding an S at the end of most words makes it two or more, but mouse becomes mice, thief becomes thieves, die becomes dice, and tooth becomes teeth. Drop the E when
you turn imagine into imagination, close into closing, and excite into excitable; but
keep the E after C or G in words like courage
to courageous, or notice to noticeable.
Remember, when it comes to the most
used spelling rules it always comes down to “It ain’t necessarily so…”
Writing Exercise: Set
a timer for 30-minutes and write about anything and everything. Write about whatever
pops into your mind. No matter when you are in your free-write session, when
the timer goes off, put down your writing implement. Free-write often, it will
help you get past so-called Writer’s Block, and will help you learn how to
write on demand.
Writing Prompt: Make
a list of all the things you COULD have been doing, other than writing, during
the previous 30-minute Free Write session.
Challenge Assignment:
Open any nearby book (preferably fiction) and turn to the page that equals your
age. Change EVERY single noun to plural and EVERY plural noun to single.
