What is the negative derivational prefix for these words?

a. happy

b. relevant

c. typical

The negative derivational prefix is:

a. un (unhappy)

b. ir (irrelevant)

c. a (atypical)

Why does English have different negative affixes for different words, e.g. un, in, a-, ir, dis?

They were borrowed from different languages. 

im/il/ir is Latin

dis is Greek

a is Greek through Latin

Yes you can.  Some verbs take dis to make them negative such as:

dislike

distrust

Can you make the following words negative by adding a negative derivational prefix?

a. sense

b. intervention

c. drip

d. stick

Simply add non:

a. nonsense

b. nonintervention

c. nondrip

There are some but it's more rare:

unfasten, unwrap, undo

These mean reversal versus negative.  (I would argue that a reversal is negative but that's my opinion)

What are gradable adjectives?

A gradable adjective is something that can have varying degrees.  e.g. of nongradable adjectives are: dead and pregnant.

(dead is dead, pregnant is pregant, you can't be very dead or extremely pregnant)

But gradable adjectives like hot and sad have different degrees:  How hot are you?  Very hot.   How sad are you?  A little.

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/adjectives-non-gradable.htm

How do you make the following gradable adjectives negative?

a. reasonable

b. wise

c. kind

unreasonable

unwise

unkind

(The Grammar Book: an ESL/EFL Teacher's Course, Marianne Celcel-Murcia, Diane Larsen-Freeman, second edition, p. 184)

Negation in English is not always consistent and there are no absolutes.

a. good (ungood???) we use bad

b. loyal (unloyal???) we use disloyal

Even more challenging:

unhappy but not unecstatic so different rules apply.

How do you know which prefix to use with which stem?

First, you might check out this reference:

http://www.indodic.com/affixListEnglish.html

Also, understand the rules that govern this are many.

1. Tending to make or become worse.
2. Disparaging; belittling.

http://www.answers.com/topic/pejorative

examples: irrational, disfunctional, unprofessional

What negative prefixes tend to be used with pejorative words?

(also used with evaluative words)

in

dis

un

immoral, disbeliever, unprofitable

Usually words that are descriptive or objective. 

nonrational

nonbeliever

nonprofessional

amoral

atheoretical

in, im, il-, ir-

in (most common)

im (if bilabial consonant follows, p/b/m)

e.g. patient = impatient

il (with stems beginning in l)

e.g. logical = illogical

ir (adjective begins with r)

e.g. = relevant = irrelevant

What are some negative suffixes?

less and free

careless and carefree

Can you give an example of an indefinite pronoun?

How would you make it negative?

thing

body

one

Negative = nothing, nobody, noone

dissheveled - correct

sheveled - incorrect

unique - correct

ununique - incorrect

Some words have lexical gaps and don't use affixes to make them negative.

Some words are actually negative contractions of two words.    Can you think of the root words for never, nor and neither?

never = not + ever

nor = and + or

niether = not + either

What's the difference between a few cookies and few cookies?

How about a little rain and little rain?

few cookies = more negative connotation

a few = a more positive connotation

little = negative

a little = positive

Give an example of the negative adverbial subordinator of conditionals?

unless

I can go unless my mom decides to visit me.

(if my mom visits, I can't go)

What's the negative adverb of time?

Yet

Are you ready yet?

(Are you not ready?  or You are probably not ready)

How do you make something more intensely negative?  You can add this word______

too

It is too complicated!

It's too hard!

She's too difficult!

What are some frequency adverbs that are negative?

seldom, rarely, scarcely, and hardly

I hardly study

(I don't study much)

Some words are negative by meaning but appear in positive form.  Think of some examples.

fail, forget, lack, exclude, absent

What is no according to phrase structure rules in the following sentence?

I am upset that no alternative plan was proposed.

No is a negative determiner

What is no in the following idioms?

no way, no wonder, no sweat

(negative determiners)

What negative determiner do you add to gerunds?

Gerunds: smoking, parking, running

Negative

no smoking, no parking, no running

This sentence has an inflected verb followed by an infinitive:

She has decided to pay her taxes.

Make it negative

She has decided not to pay her taxes.

Prescriptive grammar says not to split an infinitive.  Give an example of a split infinitive.

Marge has decided to not pay her taxes.

We discussed the word and phrase level but what about the sentence level?  How do you make a sentence negative?

Not is the main sentence-level negator:

John is at home  - John is not at home

Are you at home? - Are you not at home?

What are the negative contractions with not?

Are not = aren't

do not = don't

is that not = isn't that___?

is not = isn't

No can also make an entire sentence negative:

Answer the following quesiton using no as a sentence negator:

Are you going to sleep?

Question: Are you going to sleep?

Answer: No, I have to get to class.

Give an example of a negative subordinate clause to the following independent clause.

Are you coming?

Are you coming, if not, please let me know.

(you can also use so in this way)

Are you coming, if so, please bring some drinks.

Are you coming? I think not.

Are you coming? I think so.

What are the three types of negation in English? (basically)

Affix negation (a, dis, in/im/il/ir, non, un, less, free)

No negation (nothing, nobody, no one, nowhere, no)

Not negation (not, never, neither, nor)