THE PREFIX UN-

UNDECIDED, UNCERTAIN, UNWILLING

Difficulty Level

Target Words:

Undecided (adj.) – not determined; or, if describing a person, not

having one’s mind made up

Uncertain (adj). – not known or definite; still in doubt or “up in the

air”

Unwilling (adj.) – refusing to do something; not eager to do

something; reluctant

Point out that these particular words all have different forms after

the un-. Undecided looks like the past tense of a verb but is most

often used as an adjective. Uncertain literally means “not certain,”

so give them synonyms as needed for certain (the word could

mean “not for sure” in student terms). And unwilling also looks like a

verb with its –ing ending. It, like undecided, is an adjective, though.

Modeling word analysis for your students will help them become

more and more likely to do this on their own.

Again, remind

students that the

prefix un- negates

what comes after

it. Your reminders

will help them

remember what

un- can do when

placed on many

words.

Obviously these are all words with the prefix un-, but they also have

other things in common. This set of words is about not doing or not

knowing. They are also all adjectives, so they are describing words.

Remind your students over and over that adjectives give details,

clarity, and specificity to nouns. This will help them remember the

function of adjectives, and also should help them use stronger

adjectives in their writing.

Have small groups brainstorm things that could be undecided,

uncertain, and unwilling. You may want to have them make three

columns and list their ideas in each one. Below is an example.

Undecided Uncertain Unwilling

Someone could be

undecided about

asking another

person out for a

date

The weather – it

might rain tomorrow

My plans for after

school today

A cat or dog who

doesn’t want a

bath

A toddler who

doesn’t want to

take a nap

Ask each student to commit to using two of the words in

conversation in the next few days. If time allows, ask them to write

their plan down quickly and hand it in. If you don’t have time for

writing, have them partner with someone who wasn’t in their small

group in step A and share their plan verbally.

Examples:

I’m going to use the words undecided and uncertain when

people ask me questions if I’m not sure of the right answer or if I

haven’t made up my mind about something.

I plan to use the words undecided and unwilling. For

example, I’m undecided about what to wear to school tomorrow,

and I’m unwilling to wear different shoes from today, because these

are my favorites.

If struggling students are rather quiet during step A, it’s fine for them

to sit back and listen, as long as the group is generating examples. If

a group is stuck, you will have to go get them started with an

example or two. In step P, you can provide sentence templates like

the ones below.

I’m going to use the word _____ when I _____.

I can use the word _____ in school. (Explain how.)

I can use the word _____ at home. (Explain how.)

Ask pairs or individuals to brainstorm synonyms and/or antonyms for

the target words.

Synonyms for uncertain: indefinite, debatable, in doubt, unsure,

unsettled

Antonyms for uncertain: sure, positive, predictable, reliable

Synonyms for undecided: wavering, unsure, mixed up

Antonyms for undecided: decisive, sure, positive, agreeable

Synonyms for unwilling: refusing, hesitant, reluctant, shy away from

Antonyms for unwilling: willing, ready, agreeable, eager

Beyond the Lesson: Strive to use the target words in conversation with your students – as in,

“Are you uncertain about the answer?”