Question bank: Negation Prefix in-/im-

In an interdisciplinary class on Portuguese Language and Science, 2nd-grade elementary school students explored the importance of bees in the ecosystem. They learned that these insects are essential for pollination and, consequently, for food production. However, a concerning reality was presented: the existence of places where bees are becoming increasingly rare, a phenomenon that can be described as 'depopulation'. Reflecting on the impact of words and how they can help understand and communicate natural phenomena, students were challenged to think about how the use of negation prefixes in-/im- in words related to the topic could alter their meaning and highlight the reversal of a situation. Considering the presented context and the importance of forming antonyms to express opposite phenomena, which word derived from 'population' with the addition of a negation prefix could be used to describe the process opposite to the depopulation of bees and how it would apply to the discussion on the recovery of these important pollinators in the ecosystem?

In the book we read, the main character was very happy and everything around him was full of color and light. However, if we add the prefix 'in-' or 'im-' before the words cheerful, colorful, and bright, they change their meaning to the opposite. For example, 'happy' becomes 'unhappy' and 'colorful' turns into 'colorless'. Think of a word that means the opposite of 'full' when we add the prefix 'in-'. Write down the new word and what it means.

Joãozinho loves to play and, while playing, he found several words in a book. Some of them were: 'happy', 'able', 'patient', and 'safe'. Now he wants your help! Write the antonyms of these words using the negation prefixes 'in' or 'im'. Remember: the prefix 'in' is used before words that start with a vowel or the sound of 'h' and the prefix 'im' is used before words that start with 'p' or 'b'. Good luck!

When we want to say that something is not normal, we use the words 'in-' or 'im-' before the word. For example, if the word is 'happy', the opposite of 'happy' is 'unhappy'. Now, imagine that you read a text where the main character was very brave. If we want to say that she encountered a very large creature and got scared, what word could we use to say that she was no longer brave? Think of the little word we use to form the opposite of 'brave' and write it here.

Amanda was reading a book about the adventures of a brave explorer. She found several words that described the courage and determination of the character. When reading the following passage: 'The explorer was intrepid and nothing stopped him from moving forward in search of new discoveries', Amanda thought about how antonyms could completely change the meaning of the words found in the text. Considering the importance of the negation prefix in-/im- in forming antonyms, what would be the most appropriate antonym for the word 'intrepid' in the context of the text read by Amanda? The chosen word should maintain coherence with the theme of the explorer's adventures and indicate a quality that would prevent him from acting with courage and determination.