WORD FORMATION
When you open a dictionary, you often come across a lot of unfamiliar words. You might think this is a bit scary. But many of them are formed using other simple words. This is called word formation.
Words formed by combining other words are called compounds, for example, penfriend (a friend that you contact by riting, traditionally using a pen) and well-known(known by many people).
Prefixes and suffixes often have fixed meanings. If you add un- or in- to a word, the new word usually means the opposite. For example, if something isn't correct it's incorrect , and if someone isn't happy they're unhappy. Words with the suffixes -ment and -ness are often nouns. For example, if somebody has improved a lot, they have made great improvement. Some nouns and adjectives can be used as verbs, or the other way round. When we calm somebody down, they become 6. calmAnd we can give someone a present by presenting it.
And sometimes a word is made up of the first letters of several words:“World Trade Organization"can be referred to as WTO, and ASAP is short for “as soon as possible”.
It is impossible to know the meaning of every word, but knowing about word formation can help us guess their meanings.
