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Question

Difficulty: HardWord Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct morphological derivative of the base verb 'revoke' to fill the blank.

Answer:Despite the board's initial enthusiasm for the restructuring plan, the legal counsel warned that the terms of the final agreement were 【irrevocable】, meaning they could not be altered or cancelled under any circumstances.

Answer

irrevocable
The word 'irrevocable' is correctly formed by combining the negative prefix 'ir-' (an assimilated form of 'in-' used before roots starting with 'r') with the derived adjective 'revocable' (from the verb 'revoke' + suffix '-able'). This morphology precisely yields the meaning 'incapable of being revoked or recalled'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the required syntactic category and semantic meaning from the context.
The sentence requires an adjective describing an agreement that cannot be undone, altered, or rescinded.
The context specifies that the terms 'could not be altered or cancelled under any circumstances'.
2
Derive the adjective form of the root verb 'revoke' using the appropriate suffix.
The suffix '-able' attaches to the root verb 'revoke' (dropping the silent terminal 'e') to form the adjective 'revocable'.
The suffix '-able' expresses capability or susceptibility to an action.
3
Attach the correct negative prefix using phonological assimilation rules.
The negative prefix 'in-' assimilates to 'ir-' when preceding a root beginning with the liquid consonant /r/, producing 'irrevocable'.
Latinate prefix rules require 'in-' to assimilate to 'ir-' before 'r' (e.g., responsible -> irresponsible, regular -> irregular).

Key Concept

Morphological derivation via suffixation and prefix assimilation
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

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