In this episode, we talk about derivational forms —words that are created by adding prefixes or suffixes to a base word (also called a root). These added parts can change the meaning of the word or its grammatical category (like turning a verb into a noun or an adjective into an adverb).

For example:

• From the verb teach, we get the noun teacher.

• From the adjective happy, we get the noun happiness.

• From the noun success, we get the adjective successful.

These are all derivational forms — words that come from the same root but play different roles in a sentence. Knowing how they work can help you build your vocabulary and communicate more precisely.

In this episode, I:

• Explain what derivational forms are and we think of several examples

• Talk about word roots and the different types we have in English, especially coming from Latin

• Look at common negative prefixes like un-, in-, im-, ir-, and mis-

• Practice identifying word families and patterns that can help you guess the meaning of new words

This is a topic that will help you on a standardized test or in your everyday life!