![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/prefixes.jpg\")
\nUnderstanding prefixes on the TOEFL– beginning parts of words that have special meaning– can help you really master TOEFL vocabulary.\u00a0 In this posta, we’ll do a careful study of some prefixes that are common on the exam.<\/p>\n
\nUnderstanding prefixes on the TOEFL– beginning parts of words that have special meaning– can help you really master TOEFL vocabulary.\u00a0 In this posta, we’ll do a careful study of some prefixes that are common on the exam.<\/p>\n
Each prefix will come with a short Magoosh Comic that shows the prefix in context. After the comic, you can then see more examples of the prefix in use, as it might appear in\u00a0different parts of the TOEFL.<\/p>\n
<\/a> <\/a><\/ul>\n <\/a> On the TOEFL, the prefix\u00a0over-<\/em>\u00a0usually means “too much,” as seen in the comic below.\u00a0Over<\/em>– can also sometimes mean “dominating or controlling,” or “at a physically higher place.” Notice that\u00a0over-<\/em>\u00a0can appear in a lot of different contexts. It can also be part of just about any grammar form. In this post, we see the\u00a0over-<\/em> prefix appearing in nouns, verbs, and adjectives; over-<\/em> is possible in other grammatical contexts as well. <\/p>\n Knowing this prefix can help you understand TOEFL vocabulary across many different subjects, and in a wide range of grammatical uses. In fact, you were probably able to guess the meanings of any unfamiliar re-<\/em> words you saw in this post, based on your knowledge of this prefix. Re-<\/em> is used in words that relate to doing something more than once… or doing something\u00a0again<\/em>. (A very common English word that uses\u00a0re-<\/em> in this sense is\u00a0repeat<\/em>.)<\/p>\n Notice that\u00a0re<\/em>– can appear in grammatically different words. In this post, we see re-<\/em> in a noun, verb, and past participle adjective. You can use your understanding of this prefix to improve your comprehension of both grammar and vocabulary<\/a> on the TOEFL. The meaning of\u00a0bi-<\/em> is pretty simple– it means\u00a0two<\/em>!\u00a0Bi<\/em>–\u00a0<\/em>is used in words that describe two of something, or describe something that has been divided into two parts.\u00a0Bi-<\/em> is in the same class as other numerical prefixes such as\u00a0uni<\/em>–<\/em>\u00a0(which means one<\/em>),\u00a0tri<\/em> (or\u00a0three<\/em>),\u00a0and\u00a0quad<\/em>– (4). To see\u00a0bi<\/em>– in relation to other prefixes of number, read the Magoosh Comic below.<\/p>\n If you aren’t familiar with every bi-<\/em> word in this post, don’t feel bad. The real value of knowing the meaning of bi-<\/em> is that you’ll be better at guessing the meanings of words that contain this prefix. Use a dictionary to check any guesses you made– if you really think about prefix, grammar, and context, there’s a good chance your guesses will be correct. Co-<\/em> appears at the beginning of words related to doing things together<\/em>. In the comic strip below, you’ll see this prefix used to describe helicopter pilots who fly together and instructors who cooperate (another\u00a0co<\/em>– word!) with each other to teach a shared group of students.<\/p>\n The reading defines coevolution<\/span> accurately, in the sense that coevolution<\/span> really does involve two different life forms influencing each others’ evolution over time. But the passage is a little inaccurate in its claim that coevolution<\/span> always helps\u00a0both<\/em> species as they evolve together. Actually, sometimes this kind of parallel, connected… evolving…\u00a0can help one species while hurting another.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n So banks don’t want to take on\u00a0liability<\/em> for a loan that might not be repaid. But at the same time, these lenders want to have as many– to\u00a0profit<\/em> from as many customers as possible. So this where the idea of co-signing<\/span> comes in. The bank will lend money to a borrower with no credit history– or even bad credit history. And a person who seems more reliable– has a better credit track record– will promise to repay the loan if the unreliable borrower can’t… or uh– doesn’t– repay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Excuse me, Professor Johnson, but doesn’t capitalism include\u00a0some business models that are a little bit like communism<\/span>? Like, what about– er– co-ops<\/span>? Those grocery stores that are owned by the workers and the customers?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Notice that\u00a0co-<\/em> can appear in many different structures. Between the Magoosh Comic and the TOEFL-like examples, you can see this prefix as a noun and a verb.\u00a0Co<\/em>– also has the potential to be part of adjectives, adverbs, or other parts of speech. Also observe\u00a0that\u00a0co-<\/em> sometimes is followed by a\u00a0hyphen<\/em>— a dash that separates it form its root word. Hyphenation is more common with this TOEFL prefix than with most others. Mis-<\/em> is used in words that describe an action that was done incorrectly, or a thing that is not being treated the way it should be treated. Of course, something\u00a0that can be done the wrong way can be done the\u00a0right<\/em> way too. So words that start with the prefix\u00a0mis-<\/em>\u00a0usually have an\u00a0opposite <\/em>root\u00a0word that does NOT contain\u00a0mis<\/em>-. For instance, you can use<\/em> something in the correct way, or do the opposite–\u00a0misuse<\/em> something in the wrong way.<\/p>\n In a few rare cases, a\u00a0mis<\/em>–<\/em> word stands on its own, and you can’t make an opposite word just by removing\u00a0mis<\/em>-. Examples of this include the word\u00a0mistake<\/em> (the act of doing something in the wrong way), and\u00a0misogynist<\/em> (someone who does not treat women in the correct way).\u00a0Take<\/em> is not the opposite of\u00a0mistake<\/em>, and\u00a0ogynist<\/em> isn’t even a word! In the comic below, you’ll only see the\u00a0mis-<\/em> words that have a root word. I’ll give a greater variety of TOEFL-specific examples after the comic. I made a point to include\u00a0misconception<\/em> and\u00a0misnomer<\/em> in the TOEFL examples above. These two words are pretty difficult compared to most other vocabulary with the\u00a0mis-<\/em> prefix. It’s unlikely that you’ll see those two specific\u00a0mis-<\/em> words on the TOEFL. But on test day, you\u00a0are<\/em> likely to see at least a few similar\u00a0mis-<\/em> words that don’t have direct opposites. So remember to focus\u00a0 of the prefix itself– and not just the root word– as you study TOEFL vocabulary. Usually, out-<\/em> words describe when a person or thing has done\u00a0more<\/em> than another person or thing. Less often, the prefix\u00a0out-<\/em> appears in words that describe a movement outward or an attempt to do something outside of one’s usual space. Words with\u00a0this less common usage of\u00a0out-<\/em> may still appear on the TOEFL. Examples include\u00a0outreach<\/em>, which means the act of communicating with or helping others, and\u00a0outcropping<\/em>, a word for stones, trees, or other natural formations that stick out from the rest of their surroundings.<\/p>\n The Magoosh comic below shows\u00a0out<\/em>– in its common “more than” sense. The TOEFL examples that follow will deal with the prefix\u00a0out-<\/em> in all of its senses.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\nCLICK TO JUMP DOWN TO EACH PREFIX<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nPrefixes in TOEFL vocabulary: over-<\/em><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nTOEFL examples of the\u00a0over-<\/em> prefix<\/h3>\n
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\nNow, Faust was a German folktale chracter. But he really resembled the tragic heroes of Greek mythology. Faust had a tragic flaw– he was overambitious<\/span>— and this flaw led to his downfall as a hero.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nThe Great Depression, an economic disaster that took place in the United States from the late 1920s to early 1930s, happened in part because stocks were oversold<\/span>. Panicked investors sold their stocks\u00a0in too great of quantity, at artificially low prices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nDid you hear about the new overpass<\/span> the city is building? It sounds like it’ll make it much easier to get downtown from campus!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nThe passage criticizes Kurt Vonnegut’s books… basically for being too negative. The writer argues that Vonnegut’s novels had strong overtones<\/span> of anger and sadness. While it’s true that Vonnegut was known for his dark comedy, there’s a lot of optimism and cheer in his humor too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe takeaway<\/h3>\n
\n![\"TOEFL](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2020\/03\/back-to-top-button-1.png\")
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\n <\/p>\nThe meaning of\u00a0re-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
![\"Target](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/magoosh-company-site\/wp-content\/uploads\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/01103919\/Target-Score-Unit-4-Prefix-Activity_Page_06-600x822.jpg\")
<\/p>\nExamples of\u00a0re<\/em>–\u00a0in TOEFL Vocabulary<\/h2>\n
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\nThe human kidney filters out toxic or useless waste material from the body. Useful compounds such as water, nutrients, and ions can also get filtered from the blood into the kidneys. The kidneys will send these beneficial substances back to the blood stream for reabsorption<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nOK, so your experiment– where you tested how fast the vines would grow– didn’t get the results you expected. Did you try remeasuring<\/span> the vines? A few of your classmates just recorded incorrect measurements. And– uh–\u00a0when they measured again, they realized their predictions really\u00a0were<\/em> right.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nDid you hear that they’re having the biology department labs renovated<\/span>? Are they serious? This will be a disaster!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe takeaway<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nThe meaning of\u00a0bi-<\/em>\u00a0in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nExamples of\u00a0bi-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
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\nThe a bicameral<\/span> system… where one\u00a0group of lawmakers balances the power of another…. Well, it’s a\u00a0very<\/em> common form of government in modern nations. But it started thousands of years ago. The plebians and patricians of the Roman Empire would be an older example.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nUnlike classical European architects, Frank Lloyd Wright did not favor symmetry and balance in his building designs. In many cases, both the exteriors and interiors of his structures were bisected<\/span> unevenly, with each distinct space in having its own unique shape and size.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nOK, but are your really sure I’ll benefit from studying a new foreign language for the next few semesters? I mean, I don’t know if I can become fully bilingual<\/span> in less than two years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe takeaway<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nThe meaning of\u00a0co-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nExamples of\u00a0co-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
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The takeaway<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nThe meaning of\u00a0mis-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
![\"Target](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/Target-Score-Unit-4-Prefix-Activity_Page_11-600x772.jpg\")
<\/p>\nExamples of\u00a0mis-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
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\nUm… I think you misread<\/span> the syllabus. The course outline says this essay isn’t due until next month, see?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nWhen Christopher Columbus first came to the Americas, he thought he had landed his boat in India. This was a serious\u00a0misconception<\/span>.\u00a0<\/strong>Columbus’ confusion caused him to\u00a0misname<\/span> the Caribbean islanders he met… calling them Indians! And you know, even today, Columbus’s mistake lives on– people\u00a0still\u00a0<\/em>mislabel<\/span> Native Americans as Indians!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nIn physics classrooms, the idea of “absolute zero” is taught and studied. Absolute zero\u00a0is the temperature at which atoms become so cold that they are immobilized and do not move at all. The term comes from the idea that the coldness is absolute<\/em>— that once atoms can no longer move, temperatures can’t get any colder.\u00a0Ultimately, scientists have come to see absolute zero as a misnomer<\/span>, as research shows that it is possible to continue chilling matter to temperatures even lower than absolute zero.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe takeaway<\/h3>\n
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\n <\/p>\nThe meaning of\u00a0out-<\/em> in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n
![\"Target](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/files\/2016\/05\/Target-Score-Unit-4-Prefix-Activity_Page_12-600x744.jpg\")
<\/p>\nExamples of\u00a0out<\/em>– in TOEFL vocabulary<\/h2>\n