Learn Negative Prefixes in English: IN-, IM-, IL-, IR-, IG-

Did you know that you can transform a positive word into a negative one simply by adding a prefix to it? A prefix is a syllable you add before a word to change its meaning. For example, you can change “possible” into its opposite by adding the prefix “im-”, to make “impossible”. In this lesson, I’ll help you improve your vocabulary by teaching you FIVE negative prefixes, all beginning with “i”. Test your understanding of the lesson by taking the quiz at To learn the rest of the negative prefixes, watch the next video: TRANSCRIPT Hello. This is Gill here at engVid, and today we have a lesson on... Well, how to increase your vocabulary just by adding a little bit at the beginning of a word to make it negative, so that’s called a negative prefix. So, for example, this is probably one word you will know: the word “correct“, when you get something right; “correct“. If you say “incorrect“, then that’s the negative, meaning not correct. So, you can automatically add a word to your vocabulary just by adding the negative bit at the beginning. Okay? So, we’re looking today at different what are called prefixes because you put it in front of the word. In English, there are 12 of these prefixes, so we’re going to look at them in two different lessons. In this lesson, we’re looking at five of them; and then in the other lesson, we’ll look at seven. So, does that add up to...? Seven, eight - yes, that adds up to 12. Good. So, the reason we have five here and seven in the other one: All of these begin with the letter “i“, so we’ve put these all together, but the other seven are different; they’re all different. So, let’s have a look at these. So, increase your vocabulary by using a negative prefix. So, the first prefix, which is used for a lot of words... You have to know which is the right one to use; you can’t just use any negative prefix with any word. They belong with certain words. So, the ones that belong with “in“, here are some examples; there are lots more. So, if something is complete, it’s complete, everything is there; but if it’s incomplete... If your... If your homework is incomplete, it means you haven’t finished it. So: “Is your homework complete, or is it incomplete? Do you still need to do some more work on it?“ So, that’s “incomplete“ - the negative. Okay? So... And then when you get your homework back, is it all correct? Did you get full marks, or was there anything in it that was incorrect? If you got something incorrect, you maybe lost a mark or two. Okay. So, “incorrect“. If you’re efficient, you do things very efficiently; very well, very... You have a good method for doing things - but if you’re inefficient or if somebody is inefficient, it means they’re not very well-organized; they don’t do things in a very logical way. It takes them longer to do it, they might make mistakes, and so on. So, that’s “inefficient“. Okay. “Formal“. We sometimes talk about formal language, and then the opposite of that is “informal“, informal language is when you’re having a conversation with a friend, you might be using slang terms and so on. But if you’re meeting somebody important or you’re going for a job interview, you will be fairly formal. So, you’re either formal or informal, depending on who you’re with. Okay. And who you’re talking to. So, “informal“. Human, we’re all human, but sometimes if people do something bad, it’s called “inhuman“. If someone does something really bad to somebody else, they’re being inhuman; they’re not thinking of that person’s feelings. They’re hurting them in some way. So you could say: “That was inhuman, what he did.“ Maybe to give... You know, to get... If someone leaves a job, they’re given the sack, they’re asked to go in a bad way - it’s not very nice; it’s inhuman to just tell somebody: “You’ve got to go.“ So: “human“, “inhuman“. “Secure“, if you feel secure, you feel safe. If you feel insecure, then you don’t feel safe. So: “secure“, “insecure“. And then, finally, for “in“: “visible“. If something is visible, you can see it; it’s right there. I can see the camera; it’s visible. But if something is invisible... If the camera is hidden and I don’t know I’m being filmed, then it’s an invisible camera. So: “visible“, “invisible“. Anything you can’t see is invisible. Okay. There’s one funny, little exception with the “in“ prefix. If somebody’s famous, then they’re a celebrity; they’re very well-known, they’re on television all the time, they’re in films, etc. So they’re famous. Famous person. If you see them in the street, you think: “Oh my goodness! Wow! It’s that famous actor right near me in the street.“ Okay? So you might think that the prefix “in“ with “famous“ would mean the opposite; that they’re not famous, but it doesn’t mean that. This is an exception. […]