Vocabulary
10 key words for this lesson
UNHAPPY
Not happy.
She looked unhappy after the bad news.
UNKIND
Not kind; not nice.
It was unkind to laugh at her.
UNLOCK
To open a lock.
Can you unlock the door?
UNUSUAL
Not normal; different.
This weather is unusual for June.
REWRITE
To write again.
I need to rewrite my essay.
REREAD
To read again.
Please reread the instructions.
REBUILD
To build again.
They rebuilt their house after the storm.
PREHEAT
To heat before cooking.
Preheat the oven before you bake the cake.
PREORDER
To order something before it is in the shops.
I preordered the new game.
PREVIEW
A short look at something before others see it all.
Did you see the movie preview?
Grammar Focus
Understand the grammar rule behind this lesson's topic
Grammar focus
Grammar Focus: un- / re- / pre-
Add a prefix to the start of a word to change its meaning. UN- = not, or the opposite action. RE- = again, or back. PRE- = before.
Phrases
4 phrases and their meanings
UN- + adjective
Means "not".
happy → unhappy · fair → unfair · clear → unclear
UN- + verb
Means "do the opposite action".
lock → unlock · tie → untie · do → undo
RE- + verb
Means "do again" or "go back".
write → rewrite · play → replay · turn → return
PRE- + verb / noun
Means "before" or "early".
heat → preheat · school → preschool · view → preview
In Action
Hear how these phrases sound in real B2B situations
“Tip: un- = NOT, re- = AGAIN, pre- = BEFORE. Find the small word inside: un-HAPPY, re-WRITE, pre-HEAT.”
Register
Understand when and how to use each phrase — formal, neutral, or informal
Videos
Watch these terms used in context
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Kira
TimHi Tim! Did you preorder the new video game?
Yes, I did! I watched the preview. It looks great. Did you preorder it too?
Not yet. I'm busy. I need to rewrite my report. My teacher says it's unclear.
Oh, I had to rewrite mine too. Then I reread it, and now it's better.
OK. I don't want to be unprepared on Monday.
Me too. Oh — don't forget to preheat the oven for our cookies!
Ha, I won't! Homework first, then cookies.
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
It's important to— — —(heat) the oven before baking.
Sentence 2
I had to— — —(write) my essay because of mistakes.
Sentence 3
Can you help me— — —(lock) the door?
Sentence 4
The weather is— — —(usual) for this time of year.
Sentence 5
He had to— — —(build) the model after it broke.
Sentence 6
She looked— — —(happy) after the bad news.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.What does "un-" usually mean?
2.What does "reread" mean?
3.What does "pre-" mean?
4.Which word means "school before regular school"?
5.In the dialogue, why does Kira need to rewrite her report?