Negative Prefixes Hard Exercises
B2-C1 Level
English Exercises is teacher-led by Charlie. About the teacher · How content is made
Meaning is the key. Dis- can mean the opposite or reversal, while mis- often means "done wrongly". Some words have fixed choices: unpleasant is natural, but impleasant is not. At this level, you need to check the grammar around the gap, the exact negative meaning, and the accepted spelling. This B2-C1 practice is useful for exam tasks where several negative forms look possible but only one is idiomatic in context. When two options seem close, decide whether the sentence means "not", "wrongly", "opposite", or "not of that type". The best answer often depends on this precise shade of meaning.
Quick Rule
choose the natural negative form or phrase from the context, not just the first possible prefix
- 1.PLEASANT -> unpleasant: an unpleasant smell
- 2.MANAGE -> mismanage: mismanage a project
- 3.PROFIT -> non-profit: a non-profit organisation
- 4.HAPPY -> not unhappy: not unhappy with the result
All 20 questions
Form the correct negative word from the base word in CAPITALS. Some questions require a prefix only, others require a prefix and a suffix. Watch out for exceptions to the usual prefix rules. Form the correct word from the base word in CAPITALS.
The weather was _____ (PLEASANT) — it rained all week and we had to stay inside.
It seems _____ (LIKELY) that the meeting will be cancelled at such short notice.
The organisation was registered as a _____ (PROFIT) charity and paid no tax.
The manager accused the employee of _____ (MANAGE) company funds.
The government decided to _____ (CONTINUE) the programme due to lack of funding.
The new rules were met with widespread _____ (APPROVE) from the local community.
She seemed _____ (HAPPY) about the result — she wasn't upset, but she wasn't pleased either.
The politician was accused of _____ (REPRESENT) the facts to gain public support.
The contract was declared _____ (VALID) by the court because it lacked a signature.
His _____ (HONEST) throughout the interview process was eventually discovered.
The book was labelled _____ (FICTION), meaning all the events described really happened.
There was a clear _____ (CONNECT) between the two events that the researchers had not noticed.
The students complained that the exam questions were _____ (RELEVANT) to what they had studied.
The _____ (AGREE) between the two scientists was published in a leading journal.
The committee was _____ (ABLE) to reach a decision and the meeting ended without a resolution.
The journalist was found guilty of _____ (LEAD) the public with false reports.
The patient showed _____ (IMPROVE) — the doctor said there had been no change at all.
The report contained several _____ (ACCURATE) which were later corrected.
The decision seemed _____ (RATIONAL) to most observers — no one could understand the reasoning.
The therapist explained that feeling _____ (WORTHY) is a common symptom of depression.
Continue Practising
Continue practising with these related exercises
Adjective Formation - Basic
EasyForm common adjectives with suffixes such as -ful, -less, -ous, -ive, and -al
20 questions
Adjective Formation - Advanced
MediumPractise adjective suffixes, spelling changes, and negative prefix combinations
20 questions
Adverb Formation
MediumBuild adverbs with -ly, spelling changes, and irregular forms such as well
20 questions
Noun Formation - Easy
EasyUse common noun endings including -tion, -ment, -ness, and -er
20 questions
Noun Formation - Medium
MediumPractise B2 noun suffixes such as -ity, -ance, -ence, -ship, and -age
20 questions
Noun Formation - Hard
HardHandle abstract nouns, irregular forms, and advanced spelling changes
20 questions