http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aNumbers+tag%3aPrefixes+tag%3aAntonymsSearch results for 'tag:Numbers tag:Prefixes tag:Antonyms' matching tags 'Numbers', 'Prefixes', and 'Antonyms'en-USCSMOD (Build: 3273.32735)http://www.englishforums.com/English/AdjectiveOppositesLingusticFreedom/dbmxm/post.htm#259194Fri, 25 Aug 2006 13:23:29 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:259194anonymousHi Mister Micawber Here was my friends original use of the word Thanks for the article about Russia and the fairly non informative email To which I replied with some light hearted taunting Also the proper antonym of informative is uninformative If we venture too willy nilly into the world of adjective opposites we could end up with such awkward words as dislegal unlogical iltrue dismature imlogical and many more terrible variations And this stylistic rule Adjectival Opposites The opposite or the negative aspect of an adjective can be formed in a number of ways One way of course is to find an adjective to mean the opposite an antonym The opposite of beautiful is ugly the opposite of tall is short A thesaurus can help you find an appropriate opposite Another way to form the opposite of an adjective is with a number of prefixes The opposite of fortunate is unfortunate the opposite of prudent is imprudent the opposite of considerate is inconsiderate the opposite of honorable is dishonorable the opposite of alcoholic is nonalcoholic the opposite of being properly filed is misfiled If you are not sure of the spelling of adjectives modified in this way by prefixes or which is the appropriate prefix you will have to consult a dictionary as the rules for the selection of a prefix are complex and too shifty to be trusted The meaning itself can be tricky for instance flammable and inflammable mean the same thing The above paragraph was taken from this website http grammar ccc commnet edu grammar adjectives htm Thanks for the advice Erichttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HowToSpeakAndLearnEgnlish/2/chvhl/Post.htm#202719Fri, 03 Mar 2006 04:40:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:202719exclusiveHow To Learn English PART 2 Learning a language is mainly based upon self struggle Maybe the only thing to be done by the teachers on this subject is to advise a method Because in a sense language cannot be taught but learned So it s suitable that the students are shown ways to increase their capabilities and advised methods that give path to discoveries instead of being obliged to memorize piles of information In language learning process a target should be made clear at first What can be expected from a student who cannot answer the question Why are you learning this language This point should not be forgotten Language itself is used to reach some certain aims to make some certain plans real in the real world Therefore one should have a target while s he study a language Under the light of these facts what must your target be The decision seems to depend on you Success in learning a foreign language is closely related to the student s knowledge of his her native language But unfortunately because of the variety of materials in ELT English is taught in better ways than the native language A student adds the information s he knows about his her native language to the language s he s learning at present Sometimes just the opposite is also possible A foreign language can make understanding of the native language easy The student realizes that his her native language is another language among the others and becomes much more aware about the activities s he carries out about his her native language As Goethe says One cannot know his her native language if s he does not know his her native language Repetitions and using the language are vital in language learning It s very easy to learn something if you really need it Therefore motivation which has a main role in learning should not be ignored A language seems to be a pile of infinite rules but you do not have to know all of them Once you learn the basic rules you start to analyze and realize the other rules with ease The important thing is to understand where these rules are applied not to memorize them anyway Using a language sufficiently is more important than knowing a lot about it Learning a language requires talent as well as knowledge and talent is gained only through practice You may know how to drive a car but you have to have much practice to be a good driver Practicing with simple examples is not a good idea Everybody should try to use the language in complexity to gain the ability to think and express him herself fast MemoryRepititio est mater studiorum Repetition is the basis of learning The things you remember are the ones to which you pay attention to It s vital to repeat in order not to forget The secret in not being able to forget the things of great importance to us is repeating them The more you know about something the easier it is to remember it The more you know about somebody you have met recently i e his her country father s name occupation school etc the easier it is to remember his her name for instance Addressing him with his name several times establishing connections between his attributes and the others you have known already makes remembering his name easy Because if newly learned information is based upon the old ones they will not be forgotten with ease To learn a new word is similar to meeting a new person To have information about this new word in detail it s written form pronunciation word type base affixes etc using it orally and in written form several times establishing links between our past and present knowledge can make remembering easy This fact must always be on your mind To remember something you must recall a clue about that invoke your feelings Systematic information may easily be acquired The opportunity to make a comparison among the arranged sections gives strength to the message and meaning of the text Only the meaningful things can be remembered Another obstacle waiting for the students is to digest the unfamiliar information getting familiar with them in time It s the teacher s duty to arrange this unfamiliar information and present it to the students Knowledge about language can be divided into three main groups 1 Knowledge of VocabularyWords in target language may be divided into two a Words we recognize They are the ones we understand passively as if we work out their codes while reading or listening b Words we use They are the ones we produce actively as if we write a code for them A warning Communication mustn t be understood that simple The network of concepts in the brain is in a very complex relationship In understanding process we follow a way that is from sounds and images to meanings In oral or written forms this way is from meanings to sounds and images Perception is based upon analysis recall and memorization Usage is related to synthesis and reproduction In language learning perception must precede using the language If the studies are directed to writing in the target language learning should take place from a word in the source language to its equivalent in the target language if directed to reading this should happen from a word in the target language to its equivalent in the source language Researches about memory have shown that words are memorized by connotations There is also a close relationship between recognizing a word in different texts and using it sufficiently Therefore to comprehend the word it should be put in the middle of a firm network of connotations knitted by preliminary knowledge Words in our memory are in a relationship with each other not only in the viewpoint of sound part of speech and meaning but also in the viewpoint of shape We link the words alike in our memory This link also exists among the words in a text Coherence that is the relationship between the concepts reinforces the connection of meaning For that reason reading on a specific subject systematically that is to say directed to a specific aim increases the knowledge of vocabulary Fries a linguist divides knowledge of vocabulary into four 1 Fundamental words necessary for recognition the structure of the language 2 Words necessary for forming new words 3 Words necessary for recognition while reading or listening 4 Words necessary for special Essential points that must be focused on in choosing words for memorizing can be summarized as 1 Frequency2 Extensivity3 Usability4 Suitability for learningContinuous listening and reading are the best ways to increase the knowledge of vocabulary In more contexts you meet a new word the more it is easy to digest it However it is possible to make use of some methods before proceeding into this condense reading phase You can find the most appropriate method for you trying the ones about memorizing words below a Try to use the newly learned word not only in one sentence but also in a context formed by several sentences You may use some new words together and even write a short story with them So the number of links in your network of connotations will be increased This network of connotations is very important in improving the talent of communication People think with the help of frames of concepts For instance there is a mental frame of Lincoln in an American s mind and inside the frame are full of information piles As an example pronoun he is used when he s mentioned for that he s male he was the sixteenth president he was assassinated and killed etc These piles of information differ accordingly with experiences The frames in a new student s mind are not full at the beginning Then as the experiences increase the frames get filled These frames are not in an order as one after the other but they are in a complex network This complex network formed by the frames of concepts in relationships plays a great role in comprehending the multi directional and delicate meanings in texts b Record the words and their meanings on a cassette and listen to them c Write the difficult words in another color so that it draws your attention d One of the biggest problems of vocabulary is memorizing the abstract words Therefore start with the concrete ones e Make use of the words borrowed from the target language e g system method information etc But be careful with the change of meaning on some words f Try to remember the words with the resemblance of the sounds with your native language g Memorize the words dividing them into classes e g colors fruits vegetables etc h The connotations increase if you memorize the words that are similar in written forms together e g stationary stationery i You can use some mnemonics while memorizing words E g in the above mentioned example stationary is an adjective The only difference between the two words is on the last third letter The one with this last third letter a is the adjective That is stationary j Words starting with the same letters or sounds can be memorized together e g when which who where what etc k Remembering becomes easy if a relationship is established between the word and its physical attributes such as color sound smell etc E g fruits l Some other relationships such as the words and their functions are also useful E g furniture that is used for sitting sleeping etc m Memorizing the words with their pronunciation makes remembering easy n Words with the same roots can be memorized together E g white whiten whitish o Connections between the words and the texts can be established p Practicing on texts with some words excluded guessing the words not written or written partly are also good study for learning the words in context The elements causing connotations between words can be ordered as a Synonyms e g flower blossom b Antonyms e g wet X dry c Classifying as sub groups plant gt rose d Classifying as upper groups spinach lt vegetable Or Some other links may be organized between a word against two words giving X receiving takingold X new younggood X bad poorElements helpful for guessing the meanings from the context are a Title Calls up the words related to the subject since it determines the subjectb Repetition It is easy to guess the meaning of the word that is repeated in different sentences c Logical correlation To guess the meaning of a word you can look for logical correlations such as the cause and result relations of the word with the other words d Definitionse Examplesf Similaritiesg Synonym and antonymsh Summary The summary of a text may have clues about meanings of words since it s a repetition in a sense 2 Pronunciationa Repeat a word carefully after hearing it b Record your own voice on a cassette and compare it with a native speaker c Try to say a sound first on its own then in words or even in tongue twisters d Make a list of difficult words for you and study them more carefully e Choose a dictionary and try to get familiar with its transcription system 3 Grammara Decide on which areas are you successful at such as changing the tenses of sentences filling in the blanks translations answering the questions writing a composition etc b Use the tenses not in different sentences but in the same one c Make sure if you are good at oral or written exercises d Decide if an exercise is more useful with rules given beforehand or after e You can notice the exceptions if you put every new grammar rule into an empty grammar table in an orderly fashion Do not forget to add extra information for unclear points while repeating Basic Skills1 ListeningOne learns to understand and speak the target language imitating and listening to a native speaker Listening to the target language not only improves your reasoning but also helps your pronunciation and speaking Choose the listening material according to your aim If you have started recently you may improve your memory by listening to the cassettes of a text and your pronunciation by repeating what you listen to Further on you may increase your perception grammar and vocabulary by listening to cassettes of conferences stories and interviews The obstacles while listening to something in the target language are a Not being able to remember the long textsb Fast speaking of native speakersc Unknown vocabularyThe biggest mistake of a student while listening is that s he tries to understand each and every word On the other hand as it is the same in our own language we usually understand someone not according to what s he says but according to his her intention That s why we listen to him her as nothing happened when s he says something wrong not on purpose Once we understand his her intention we do not pay much attention to every word s he says Hence we hear what we hope to hear in a sense Because we face with familiar structures and expressions continuously Even the ones we are surprised at are within a limit of familiarity but when this limit is exceeded we react For instance we laugh when we hear a child talking like an adult or an adult talking like a child Perception requires choosing the important but if we try to concentrate on every word we hear we cannot talk about perception because of the weight load of the mind We need time to get used not to pay attention to the extra information A successful communication depends on understanding the person you are speaking to by reasoning with the help of his her sayings Besides talent of communication improves not only with being expertized in language but also with the increase of experiences in society It is hard to keep the sentences in mind in a foreign language So it is suitable to classify them briefly in order to remember them Repeating what you listen both reinforces the memory and helps you comprehend the logic of that language listening to something to talk about it later helps you concentrate on that subject Gestures and mimes also make understanding easy Body movements facial expressions instant changes in breathing stress and duration of pauses are beyond language clues of that kind 2 SpeakingSpeaking about a subject requires some conditions a Meaningb A correct grammarc Correct pronunciationd Suitable wordsMistakes in speaking tend to increase since you have to express yourself faster than in writing Other conditions are not usually so distinct because meaning is important Few mistakes of the speaker are accepted because examining each sentence of his her is too hard for the one s he is speaking to The important thing is to notice the repeated mistakes There is a tolerance of mistakes in each language Knowing the limit of this assures you speak in a more comfortable way Social English How do you do see you around etc is also necessary for a fluent and sufficient speaking Memory plays a great role in dialogs Responding the one you are speaking to depends on using the memory adequately Answering a question of someone relies on comprehending the intention of him her and guessing his her allusions The importance of knowledge of vocabulary is unquestionable in fluent speaking But it is wiser to reach the level of talking about what you mean briefly instead of trying to memorize every word you meet Because language is for communication A parrot repeats words but it cannot speak 3 ReadingDo not look up each word you meet in a text so be careful while choosing the texts you will read Look up the words you do not understand after reading the text several times Do not lose time with the ones you are able to guess Increase the number of pages and the level of texts as days pass Choose texts on your favorite subjects Do not forget to study the magazines and newspapers as well as books Pictured materials are more comprehensive with the clues they contain Who where how questions are very useful to perceive the flow of the events and the gist of the text If you do not understand some words do not give up Go on reading Some ambiguity prevails in our native language as well but we do not give up reading hoping the text will be clearer after a while This is the same for a foreign language Dialogs are easy to remember since they contain real communication among people and are social units Therefore they are more important than written texts and the best way is to stay in the country in which the target language is spoken 4 WritingWriting helps us make established to expressions we learn In the target language more lively and remember them Keeping a diary writing a short story summarizing the daily news can contribute to us in acquiring a writing habit Writing about your ideas of a book you have read extracting some passages taking notes on some aphorisms may be beneficial 5 Translation Though it seems as an outdated method translation is a helpful element that helps students improve their basic skills reading writing listening speaking Especially students can acquire conscience about language through the knowledge of Text linguistics which studies the elements of a text Besides students will have a general information about the subjects they translate While making a literal translation a method mentioned below may be used First you read the text several times You can talk about the ambiguous points in consultation with others The unknown words are looked up in a dictionary Then with the help of a Thesaurus you find these words in the target language that draws the border of the semantic field of the one in the source language After learning this frame of concept of the word you can find the exact word in an English to English dictionary if you are making a translation into English Using a dictionary that gives details about the conceptual fields of a word and its usage is very helpful e g Collins Cobuild Dictionary You choose the best word with the aid of your intuition Then you may check which verbs objects adverbs etc to use with the word in a dictionary such as BBI Combinatory dictionary of English Translating on technical fields is also attractive for students and in that way they can memorize the terminology of a specific field Practice is essentialLanguage should not be a pile of rules but a skill The points mentioned below may be some of the exercises in the target language a Grammar exercisesStudents generally accept a rule as it is and do not try to use it in a different way The rules should be used as flexible as possible b Vocabulary exercisesWhen you hear a word try to use it with different objects E g to finish to finish a school to finish a work etc c Exercises on suffixes affixes and prefixesIf you know the suffixes affixes and prefixes in forming words you may memorize words very easily E g reader rider teacher etc d Speaking exercisesThe easiest way to practice is to make repetitions silently because there is no need for a specific place time and book For instance you can try to say the names of things around or translate the dialogs during shopping etc e You can make use of word games puzzles etc ConclusionThe ability of understanding and using a language is improved not only by learning the meanings of words but also with social experiences different relations initiated with several people and with continuous studying As your ability is improved you start to think in the target language Meanwhile understanding the jokes and dreaming in the target language are proofs of your progress While learning a foreign language a successful student does not claim that he does not know anything about that language On the contrary s he tries to save time finding the similarities and differences between the two languages in the fields of vocabulary pronunciation and grammar With constant practice he tries to acquire a firm thinking and an effective communication ability Do not forget PractIce makes perfect