Power Prefixes for Eleventh Grade Students: pre-

Before stepping from the passage between the buildings, I took the precaution of looking up and down the passageway to see if I was being observed. Crispin: The Cross of Lead

The Parliamentarian considered and said, “Since there is no precedent for the treatment of a double apprenticeship, there are no rules as to how it should be dealt with. The proposal is within our guidelines.” Scythe

He missed two games with a sore lower back, a minor injury that precluded him from taking batting practice for days. Washington Post (Jul 27, 2012)

While he was obviously not a progressive man, he was courteous and reasonable, in marked contrast to his predecessor. Long Walk to Freedom

Here the prefix in is for emphasis, as in words like incinerate, incoming and intense. Woe Is I

The movie was about hypocrisy in our society and people’s prejudice. The Freedom Writers Diary

The most effective off- the-cuff speeches are premeditated, and the best premeditated speeches appear off the cuff. Words Like Loaded Pistols

He took off the Ring, moved it may be by some deep premonition of danger, though to himself he thought only that he wished to see more clearly. The Return of the King

A degree in English language is not a prerequisite for caring about where a bracket is preferred to a dash, or a comma needs to be replaced by a semicolon. Eats, Shoots & Leaves

According to prescient predictions made by Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1923, honeybee colonies are collapsing right on schedule. Seattle Times (Mar 3, 2011)