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Question

Difficulty: EasyPrefix and Suffix Analysis

The supervisor noticed that the worker became inattentive toward the end of a long shift. In this sentence, what does the word inattentive most nearly mean?

  1. A
    Observant
  2. DistractedAnswer
  3. C
    Inactive
  4. D
    Disrespectful

Answer

Distracted
The word 'inattentive' is formed by attaching the negative prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') to 'attentive' (meaning 'mindful' or 'observant'). Therefore, 'inattentive' means 'not paying attention', which is the exact definition of 'distracted'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Break down the target word into its morphological components.
The word inattentive consists of the negative prefix in- (meaning not), the base attent (from attend, meaning to direct one's mind or care), and the adjective suffix -ive (meaning having the quality of).
Deconstructing affixes reveals the core literal definition of the word.
2
Synthesize the affix meanings to identify the corresponding synonym.
Combining not with attentive yields not paying attention, which directly matches the meaning of distracted.
Sentence context indicates that fatigue near the end of a work shift causes a worker to lose concentration.

Key Concept

Prefix and Suffix Analysis
Estimated Time:35s
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Topics

Prefix and Suffix Analysis

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