Let's see what comes to mind — no notes, and don't worry about mistakes.
You already know how to flip a word's meaning. Complete this sentence:
"That comment wasn't very nice — actually, it was quite (kind) → ."
Have a go out loud: pick any adjective you know — tidy, safe, patient — and say its opposite by adding a small piece to the front. Try two.
Traveller: Why the long face?
Friend: My train got cancelled, so I had to redo the whole itinerary. So annoying.
Traveller: That's rough. Did they explain why?
Friend: Not really — just something vague about "technical difficulties." Pretty disorganised, if you ask me.
Look again at "redo" and "disorganised." Small pieces have been added to ordinary words — "do" and "organised" — and the meaning changes completely. Why do you think English works this way instead of inventing a brand new word every time? Say your idea out loud before you check.
Small pieces at the FRONT of a word that change its meaning.
Three everyday complaints:
Before you check: what job do "un-", "dis-" and "mis-" do at the start of each word?
Notice the spelling change: "in-" becomes "il-" before a word starting with "l" — it's easier to say. The same happens before "m", "p" and "r".
Read each situation, then build the word from the root given.
1. Your new colleague's name has far too many letters, and you keep getting it wrong.
Admit it to a friend: "I keep (spell) → her name — it's so long!"
2. The weather forecast changed at the last minute, so the whole trip had to be worked out again.
Tell a friend: "We had to (plan) → the whole trip."
3. A friend's map sent you completely the wrong way.
Complain about it: "The map you gave me was (correct) → — it took me nowhere near the station."
Think of something you often do again — reheat food, rewatch a show, rebook a table. Say two things you often "re-" in your week.
Endings that turn a verb or adjective into a noun — a thing, an action, a quality, or a person.
Three everyday nouns:
What did each word start as, before the ending was added? Say it before you check.
The verb "discuss" becomes the noun "discussion" — now it can be the subject of a sentence, something you can describe as "long" or "useful".
1. Before you agree to anything for the roof repair, you want a written price from the builder.
Say it to your partner: "Let's get a proper (quote) → from the builder first."
2. Everyone has one food they can never say no to — yours is chocolate.
Admit it: "Everyone has a (weak) → — mine is definitely chocolate."
3. Your grandfather held three patents in his working life.
Describe him: "My grandfather worked as an (invent) → ."
Say two nouns ending in -ment or -ness that describe your week so far (for example: excitement, tiredness) — but pick your own.
Endings that build adjectives (describing a thing) and adverbs (describing how something happens).
Three everyday sentences:
What job does each ending do? Say it before you check.
Before you form the word, check what job the gap is doing:
Try it: "The trip was completely ___ (SUCCESS)." What job does the gap do?
1. You expected a designer price but paid just ten pounds for the bag.
Tell a friend: "This bag was surprisingly (afford) → — only ten pounds."
2. The roads are icy tonight and you're worried about a friend driving home.
Warn them: "Please drive (care) → tonight — the roads are icy."
3. You notice the stove has been left on while everyone leaves the house.
Say it: "It's (danger) → to leave the stove on and leave the house."
Look around the room you're in now. Say two things using -ful or -less — for example, something that's useless or something that's colourful.
Time to build your own words in a real story. You do the talking.
Think of a plan that changed, a mix-up that got sorted out, or a rule at work or home. (If nothing comes to mind, invent one.)
Tell the whole story out loud for one minute. Try to answer:
Write a short message (3–5 sentences) to a friend or colleague about the same situation. Try to use all three kinds of word-building from today — a prefix, a noun ending, and an adjective or adverb ending. The checker will tell you which ones it finds.
Real life doesn't tell you which piece to use. Here everything is mixed — you decide.
Each sentence has one word-formation mistake. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly.
1. "The information on the form was unaccurate, so we had to send it back."
2. "It's unpossible to finish this report by Friday."
3. "The staff were really helpfull when I complained about the delay."
4. "I liked the plan, but her explaination of it was too rushed."
5. The hotel room description said: "small but very ___ (COMFORT)."
6. "She answered the interview question very ___ (CONFIDENT)."
7. "We were impressed by his ___ (CREATIVE) — he always finds new solutions."
One-minute challenge: describe a mistake you or someone else made recently — how it happened, what the result was, and how you'd describe the situation now. Try to use a prefix, a noun ending, and an adjective or adverb ending.
1. The comparative form you knew before today — complete it: "This café is much (good) → than the last one we tried."
2. Say it out loud: how do you usually make a regular noun plural in English? Give one example, then think of one noun with an irregular plural.
3. Everyone in the queue has been waiting an hour and starting to complain.
Describe them: "After waiting an hour, everyone in the queue became (patient) → ."
4. Someone is picking you up from the station and needs to know when to be there.
Text them: "We need to know your (arrive) → time so we can meet you at the station."
5. A delay has been announced, and you're reassuring a worried friend.
Say it: "(hope) → , the delay won't last much longer."
Which practice helped you most today — fixing the mistakes, choosing the word class in Mix It Up, or building your own words in the writing task? Say why you think that one worked for you.
At the start we said: prefixes and endings so you can build the exact word you need. Tick what's true: