记单词是让很多人头疼的事情，不过特别有心的人会发现：单词与单词之间其实是有联系的。这就是我们要说的——构词法。
英语的构词法主要包括：转化词、 派生词、 合成词、 混成词、截短词、缩略词等，其中前三种最为重要，下面我们就分若干次给大家一一列举出来。

一、转化词

转化词就是词形不变, 由一个词类转化成另一个词类的词

1、转化动词，如: mark评分, stage上演, warm加热,使温暖, further促进, water浇水

a. Warm the milk before drinking it.

b. She waters the flowers every day.

c. Cool the water before you drink it.

d. The train slowed down as it entered the station.

 

2、转化名词，如: cause起因, use用处, native本地人, major主修科目

a. Let’s go for a drive next Sunday.

b. You can ask for a help.

c. They stopped there for a swim.

 

二、合成词

合成词是由两个或两个以上的词合成的一个新词

1、合成名词，如: workforce, haircut, postman, X-ray, mailbox, landowner, farmland, handstand, handshake, coastline, gunfire, short-wave, gentleman, newcomer, tightrope, best-seller, mainland, freeway, second-hand, midday, front-runner, pickpocket扒手, breakwater防波堤, runway, sit-downer静坐罢工者, breakthrough突破, runaround借口, runaway逃亡, sell-out售完, handout传单, breakdown衰落

 

2、合成形容词，如: worldwide, nationwide, duty-free, snow-white, world-famous, lifelong, English-speaking, noise-killing, hand-made, peace-loving, horse-drawn, fun-loving, ready-made现成的, good-looking, easy-going, low-lying地势低洼的, well-known, hard-working, well-informed消息灵通的, widespread, ill-formed, first-rate, second-hand, worthwhile, everyday, middle-aged, warm-blooded, good-tempered, bare-footed

 

3、合成代词，如: himself, herself, themselves, something, someone, anything, nobody

 

4、合成动词，如: overthrow, output, input, uphold, uplift, downgrade, sleep-walk, typewrite, brainwash, handpick精选, daydream, whitewash, deep-freeze

 

5、合成副词，如: meanwhile, midway, everywhere, somewhere, anyway, otherwise, sometime, beforehand, onshore, inside, offhand, headfirst头朝下地, daylong