2.2.- Prefixes and Suffixes

What is your favourite song?

Listening Introductory Activity

https://www.topworksheets.com/t/ulYelKdUizq

Substitution song video

Information and Exercises about Prefixes and Suffixes

https://www.uefap.com/vocab/build/building.htm

1.- Verbs

1.1.- Verb Suffixes

1.2.- Verb Prefixes

2.- Nouns

2.1.- Noun Prefixes

prefix + noun -> noun

2.2.- Noun Suffixes

verb, noun, adjective -> noun

Verb + suffix -> noun

https://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/verbs2nouns.htm

Noun + suffix -> noun

adective + suffix -> noun

https://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/nouns2adjectives.htm

https://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/verbs2adjectives.htm

3.- Adjectives

3.1.- Adjective Suffixes

https://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/nouns2adjectives.htm

3.2.- Adjective Prefixes

4.- Adverbs

4.1.- Adverb Suffixes

-never           whenever, wherever, whatever

Online Exercise about forming adverbs

https://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/adjectives2adverbs.htm

Collaborative Exercise:

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/89368077

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/6190148

Assignment:

https://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/word-formation/wf052-unusual-park.htm

1.7.- Capitalisation

 

Capitalisation

 

1.- The first sentence word, for example:

'When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the punch line.'

2.- The pronoun I, for example: 'The last time I visited Atlanta was several years ago.'

3.- Family relationships when used as proper names, for example:

I sent a thank-you note to Aunt Abigail but not to my other aunts.

Here is a present I bought for Mother.

Did you buy a present for your mother?

4.- Proper nouns (the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things)

Worrill Fabrication Company

Golden Gate Bridge

Supreme Court

Livingston, Missouri

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

5.- The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books.

God the Father

the Virgin Mary

the Bible

the Greek gods

Moses

Shiva

Buddha

Zeus

Exception: The word 'god' in general terms is not capitalised, for example, 'The word "polytheistic" means the worship of more than one god.'

6.- Directions that are names (North, South, East, and West when are used as sections of the country but not as compass directions), for example:

'The Patels have moved to the Southwest.'

'Jim's house is two miles north of Brighton.'

7.- Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names, for example:

'She worked as the assistant to Doctor House.'

'I was able to interview Michaela Quinn, the doctor of Colorado Spring.'

8.- The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays (but not generally the seasons of the year)

Halloween

October

Friday

winter

spring

fall

Exception: Seasons are capitalized when used in a title, e.g., The Fall 1999 semester

 

9.- The names of countries, nationalities, and languages:

Costa Rica

Spanish

French

English

 

10.- The first word in a sentence that is a direct quote, for example, Emerson once said, 'A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.'

 

11.- The major words in titles of books, articles, and songs (but not short prepositions or the articles 'the,' 'a,' or 'an'  when they are not the first word of the title), for example,  'One of Jerry's favorite books is The Catcher in the Rye.'

12.- Members of national, political, racial, social, civic, and athletic groups:

Green Bay Packers

African-Americans

Democrats

Friends of the Wilderness

Chinese

13.- Periods and events but not century numbers:

Victorian Era

Great Depression

Constitutional Convention

sixteenth century

 

14.- Trademarks:

Pepsi

Honda

IBM

Microsoft Word

 

15.- Words and abbreviations of specific names, except for the thing names that come from specific things which are now general types:

NBC

UN

Freudian

pasteurize

french fries

italics

Collaborative Online Exercise about Capitalisation

https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/nouns_articles/capitalization.htm

Individual Online Exercise about Capitalisation

https://www.liveworksheets.com/es/w/en/languge-arts/320116

1.6.- Dashes vs Parentheses

🔍 Discovery Exercise: Dashes vs. Parentheses (PR Speech)

🎯 Objective: Students will..

• Identify key uses of dashes and parentheses
• Match form to function
• Discover how punctuation affects emphasis in PR writing

📄 Instructions:

1. Read the PR speech extract.
2. Match each quote (A–H) with one use (1–8).
3. Each use corresponds to only ONE quote.

🗣️ PR Speech Extract

“Today, we are proud to launch our new campaign—a strategy designed to connect with global audiences. The campaign will run from June 1–30 and is expected to increase engagement by 25%–30%.

Our leadership team—including experts in marketing, data analytics, and innovation—has worked closely to ensure success. The results have been impressive—far beyond expectations.

The campaign will launch in three major cities (New York, London, and Tokyo). It represents a major milestone for our company (founded in 1998) and reflects our long-term vision (according to internal research).”

Individual Discovery Exercise on Wordwall:

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/110102352/discovery-exercise-of-dashes-vs-parentheses

📝 Dashes vs. Parentheses in Public Relations Writing

🎯 Introduction

In PR writing must be clear, strategic, and audience-focused, for example, "The campaign increased engagement—by 65% in one month." and punctuation shapes tone, emphasis, and credibility, for instance, "The campaign increased engagement (by 65% in one month)."

➖ Dashes (– / —)

✔️ General Use of the Dashes:

• A dash is used to add, separate, or emphasize information within a sentence
  👉 “The strategy—although risky—proved successful.”
• It signals a strong interruption or shift in thought
  👉 “The campaign—unexpectedly—went viral.”
• It gives more emphasis than commas or parentheses
  👉 “The results—far beyond expectations—impressed stakeholders.”

✔️ Types of Dashes

✔️ Type 1: En Dash (–): General Use

• Shows ranges or connections
  👉 “Sales increased by 20%–30%.”

✔️ Specific Uses of En Dashes (–)

1. Showing numerical ranges (en dash)

👉 “The event runs from October 12–14.”

2. Connecting data or metrics (en dash)

👉 “Engagement increased by 25%–30% during the campaign.”

✔️ Type 2: Em Dash (—): General Use

• Creates breaks and emphasis
  👉 “Alex needs to pass chemistry—a very difficult class—to graduate.”
• 
  

✔️ Specific Uses of Em Dashes (—)

1. Adding emphasis (em dash)

👉 “The campaign exceeded expectations—boosting engagement across platforms.”

2. Setting off nonessential but important information

👉 “The CEO—a longtime industry leader—announced the expansion.”

3. Emphasizing more strongly than parentheses

👉 “The proposal may seem bold—even revolutionary.”

4. Setting off appositives with internal commas

👉 “The cousins—Tina, Todd, and Sam—arrived together.”

5. Clarifying complex groups

👉 “The team—marketing, communications, and design—collaborated on the launch.”

6. Introducing extended explanations or storytelling

👉 “The U.S.S. Constitution became known as ‘Old Ironsides’—when cannonballs bounced off its sides.”

7. Adding analytical or explanatory insight

👉 “The concept remains difficult to define—because of its many evolving applications.”

⚠️ PR Tip for Dashes

• Use for impact and engagement
  👉 “The results were impressive—far beyond expectations.”
• Avoid overuse
  👉 “The campaign—very fast—very big—very successful—loses clarity.”

( ) Parentheses

✔️ General Use of Parentheses

• Used to enclose additional or nonessential information
  👉 “The event will take place in Austin (October 12–14).”
• Signals information is less central to the message
  👉 “The campaign succeeded (according to internal data).”
• Provides weaker emphasis than dashes
  👉 “The results improved (significantly).”

✔️ Specific Uses of Parentheses

1. Adding nonessential details

👉 “The product launches next week (pending approval).”

2. Providing clarification or extra information

👉 “Revenue increased by 20% (year-over-year).”

3. Including dates or factual background

👉 “Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) remains an icon.”

4. Adding sources or attribution

👉 “The findings were positive (according to internal research).”

5. Including secondary contextual information

👉 “The company expanded globally (including Southeast Asia).”

6. Maintaining a formal, controlled tone

👉 “The results improved significantly (based on quarterly data).”

⚖️ Dashes vs. Parentheses (Core Difference)

✔️ Dash = emphasis and visibility

👉 “The campaign succeeded—exceeding expectations.”

✔️ Parentheses = secondary, background information

👉 “The campaign succeeded (exceeding expectations).”

Collaborative Online Exercise about Dashes vs Parentheses

https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-using-parentheses-dashes.html

Individual Online Exercise about Commas, Dashes, and Parentheses

https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/584025cf429f0f602956dec9/commas-parentheses-and-dashes

https://quizizz.com/join?gc=41426008

Last Update by Teacher Elmer Santana in 2026

1.5. Italics

Introductory Exercise on Wordwall:

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/109195516

Underlining and italics are often used interchangeably. Before word-processing programs were widely available, writers would underline certain words to indicate to publishers to italicize whatever was underlined. Although the general trend has been moving toward italicizing instead of underlining, you should remain consistent with your choice throughout your paper. To be safe, you could check with your teacher to find out which he/she prefers.

 

When do we italicize words?

 

1.- Italicize the titles of magazines, books, newspapers, academic journals, films, television shows, long poems, plays of three or more acts, operas, musical albums, artworks, websites, and individual trains, planes, or ships.

Time

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Salvador Dali

Amazon.com

Titanic

 

2.- Italicize foreign words.

Semper fi, the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, means "always faithful."

 

3.- Italicize a word or phrase to add emphasis.

The truth is of utmost concern!

 

4.- Italicize a word when referring to that word.

The word justice is often misunderstood and therefore misused. 

Italics vs Quotation Marks (“”)

In public relations and professional writing, both italics and quotation marks help signal how readers should interpret words or titles. However, they are used for different purposes and follow standard style conventions (often based on Associated Press style in PR and journalism).

Below are the key differences.

1. Purpose

Italics

• Used to highlight titles of major works or to emphasize a word.
• Shows that a word or phrase has special status (foreign word, emphasis, title).

Example

• The campaign referenced The New York Times investigation.
• The brand message should feel authentic.

“Quotation Marks”

• Used to show exact words spoken or written by someone.
• Also used for titles of short works or to indicate a term being discussed.

Example

• The CEO said, “Our customers come first.”
• The article titled “Marketing in a Digital World” went viral.

2. Types of Titles They Mark

Use	Italics	Quotation Marks
Books	Yes	No
Newspapers	Yes	No
Magazines	Yes	No
Movies	Yes	No
Long reports	Yes	No
Articles	No	“Yes”
Blog posts	No	“Yes”
Speeches	No	“Yes”
Short poems	No	“Yes”

Examples

• The Wall Street Journal (italics)
• “How Social Media Changed PR” (quotation marks)

3. Direct Speech vs. Emphasis

Italics

Used for emphasis in writing.

Example:

• This campaign must reach the right audience.

“Quotation Marks”

Used for direct quotations.

Example:

• The spokesperson said, “We are committed to transparency.”

4. Introducing or Discussing Terms

Italics

Sometimes used for foreign words or unfamiliar terms.

Example:

• The concept of zeitgeist influenced the campaign.

“Quotation Marks”

Used when introducing a term or label.

Example:

• This strategy is known as “moment marketing.”

5. Tone or Skepticism

Italics

Generally neutral emphasis.

“Quotation Marks”

Can signal irony or skepticism (so-called).

Example:

• The company announced a “temporary” price increase.

✅ Simple rule to remember in PR writing:

• Italics → Titles of big works and emphasis
• Quotation marks → Exact words and titles of short works

Collaborative Online Exercise about Italics

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/exercises/Italics%20and%20Quotations%20-%20Exercise01.aspx

Individual Online Exercise about Italics

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/exercises/Italics%20and%20Quotations%20-%20Exercise02.aspx

Last Update by Dark Prince in 2024