Grammar tips

Prefixes – “un-” x “dis-” x “mis-”

These three prefixes are commonly confused. They all seem to be referring to the concept of “not”, but this negative reference has variations. See below.

Un-

“un-” is a prefix that makes a word negative by creating a sense of the opposite of its original meaning.

• Example: “This type of action is highly unprecedented in the diplomatic world.”

Dis-

“dis-” when used as a prefix has the sense of “taking something away” or “removing”.

• Example: “The participants of the conference were quite disinterested in what was being presented.”

Comparison:

- “Whenever I go to a French restaurant, I am always unsatisfied with the quantity of food served in my dish.”

• “unsatisfied” – there was not enough food on my plate to satisfy my hunger.

- “When I went to the local French restaurant, I was extremely dissatisfied with the dish I was served.”

• “dissatisfied” – my expectations of good food were not met due to the poor quality of food served; i.e. my expectation was taken away.

Mis-

“mis-” has the sense of “incorrect/wrong”.

• Example: “The electoral polls in the 2016 American presidential election misrepresented the true election results.”

Remember, in English writing, it is always important to pay attention to detail!

Stay tuned for more grammar tips in the next CACD English Newsletter!