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Difficulty: MediumWord Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

During the chaotic proceedings in the courtroom, the presiding judge maintained an exceptionally ________ demeanor, showing no visible emotion or distress regardless of the heated arguments. Which word, formed from the Latin root for feeling combined with a negative prefix, correctly completes the sentence?

  1. A
    impassioned
  2. impassiveAnswer
  3. C
    impassable
  4. D
    unpassionate

Answer

The word 'impassive' correctly completes the sentence because it is formed from the prefix 'im-' (meaning 'not') and the root 'pass' (from Latin 'pati/passus', meaning 'to suffer or feel'), describing an emotionless or calm demeanor.
The term 'impassive' combines the negative prefix 'im-' (not) with the root 'pass' (emotion/feeling) and the adjectival suffix '-ive' to describe someone who demonstrates a complete lack of emotion or reaction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context to determine the required meaning.
The context specifies a demeanor that shows 'no visible emotion or distress'.
Understanding the contextual blank requires identifying an adjective denoting stoicism or lack of emotional display.
2
Analyze the root and prefix morphology of the target concept.
The prefix 'im-' functions as a negator ('not'), and the root 'pass' relates to feeling or emotion (as seen in 'passion' or 'passive'). Combining them yields 'impassive'.
Morphological derivation reveals that 'impassive' signifies being incapable of or not showing emotion.
3
Evaluate distractors based on morphological errors and paronyms.
'Impassioned' means full of emotion, 'impassable' refers to physical blockage, and 'unpassionate' is an non-standard morphological construction.
Distinguishing between paronyms prevents selecting words with conflicting meanings or non-standard affixation.

Key Concept

Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots
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Topics

Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

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