Prefixes and suffixes are extremely helpful for learning vocabulary in general, but they\u2019re especially useful for the academic level of vocabulary that\u2019s used on the TOEFL. This week, we\u2019re going to look at a very common and very important prefix, \u201cin-,\u201d and an equally important suffix, \u201c-able.\u201d<\/p>\n
First, a note about \u201cin-\u201d: The truth is that there are a few different forms of this same prefix. It may also be \u201cim-\u201d or \u201cil-\u201d depending on the root word that it\u2019s attached to. Words that start with an \u201cm,\u201d \u201cp,\u201d or \u201cb\u201d take \u201cim-,\u201d such as \u201cimpossible.\u201d Words that start with \u201cl\u201d take \u201cil-,\u201d such as \u201cillogical,\u201d and words that start with \u201cr\u201d take \u201cir-,\u201d such as \u201cirrelevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The most common is \u201cin-,\u201d though, which is why the title of this post just says \u201cin-.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly, the prefix \u201c-able\u201d is often changed to \u201c-ible.\u201d This happens more often with words that don\u2019t have a clear root, such as \u201cvisible.\u201d You might know that \u201cvis\u201d relates to \u201cvision,\u201d but \u201cvis\u201d is not an English word. In contrast, the actual English word \u201cbelieve\u201d is very easy to see in \u201cbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the meaning of those two pieces, \u201cin-\u201d and \u201c-able\u201d? Well, you may already know that: \u201cin-,\u201d similar to \u201cun-\u201d and \u201cnon-,\u201d gives a word the opposite meaning of the root word. For example, \u201cimpossible\u201d means \u201cnot possible.\u201d Meanwhile, \u201c-able\u201d and \u201c-ible\u201d both are used in words that show possibility: whether or not something can<\/strong> happen.<\/p>\n So together, these two parts of words show that the word means something is not possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The root word: \u201c<\/em>Dispense\u201d has a couple of meanings, but the important meaning here is \u201cget rid of\u201d or \u201cstop using.\u201d We don\u2019t often use it to describe putting things in the trash, though. It\u2019s more metaphorical. You might, for example, \u201cdispense with the formalities.\u201d That means you won\u2019t be so formal in a conversation or meeting. (That\u2019s usually said in a very dramatic way\u2014don\u2019t say it in normal conversation unless you are joking a bit).<\/p>\n The meaning:<\/em> It something is \u201cindispensable,\u201d then, that means you can\u2019t throw it away. It\u2019s absolutely necessary. Practicing is an indispensable part of test preparation, for example.<\/p>\n TOEFL example: <\/em>As you all know, trustworthy references are an indispensable asset to a highly regarded research project. If your facts don\u2019t come from a good source, the theories and analyses are irrelevant.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The root word: <\/em>Although it looks a little different, here, the root is the same as the root of \u201cnumber\u201d\u2014there\u2019s just no \u201cb\u201d.<\/p>\n The meaning: <\/em>Put the pieces together, and you get \u201cnot\u201d + \u201cnumber\u201d + \u201cpossible.\u201d That\u2019s right: this word means that you can\u2019t count how many there. In more general usage, it just means that there are very, very many.<\/p>\n TOEFL example: <\/em>Although it may look perfect after it has been cut and polished, a natural diamond nonetheless has innumerable tiny flaws.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The root word: <\/em>\u201cTo refute\u201d is, by itself, a great TOEFL vocabulary word. If you refute<\/em> a belief or idea, then you show the idea isn\u2019t true. It\u2019s very similar to the word \u201cdisprove,\u201d but \u201cdisprove\u201d is a little bit stronger. Both \u201crefute\u201d and \u201cdisprove\u201d are very likely to show up on your TOEFL.<\/p>\n The meaning: <\/em>In this case, if you know the meaning and usage of that root word, then you know the meaning and usage of the full \u201cirrefutable,\u201d too: that just means that you cannot prove a fact wrong. An irrefutable<\/em> idea is definitely, absolutely true and nobody would argue with it.<\/p>\n TOEFL example: <\/em>At this point, it\u2019s basically irrefutable<\/em> that there is no life on other planets that we can reach with modern technology. We simply will not visit an alien planet any time soon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The root word: <\/em>\u201cTo escape\u201d isn\u2019t a very useful word for the TOEFL, specifically. It could show up on the test, but it\u2019s not especially academic. If you escape, then you get out of a place where somebody is holding you. It means to become free. Sometimes your dog might escape from the front yard, and run free in the streets. In horror movies, only the most important characters usually escape.<\/p>\n The meaning: <\/em>The meaning of \u201cescape\u201d within \u201cinescapable\u201d is very metaphorical. We don\u2019t talk about an \u201cinescapable fence\u201d\u2014that\u2019s too real, too physical. Instead, \u201cinescapable\u201d means that some event will<\/strong> happen. You cannot stop it. If you live long enough, old age is inescapable<\/em>: nobody can stay young forever. Ideas can also be inescapable, meaning that we must come to that conclusion if we think about the situation.<\/p>\n TOEFL example:<\/em> When considering the history of slavery, an inescapable question arises: what makes humans capable of such cruelty?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Prefixes and suffixes are extremely helpful for learning vocabulary in general, but they\u2019re especially useful for the academic level of vocabulary that\u2019s used on the TOEFL. This week, we\u2019re going to look at a very common and very important prefix, \u201cin-,\u201d and an equally important suffix, \u201c-able.\u201d First, a note about \u201cin-\u201d: The truth is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13604],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[13628],"class_list":["post-664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vocab"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIndispensable<\/h2>\n
Innumerable<\/h2>\n
Irrefutable<\/h2>\n
Inescapable<\/h2>\n