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Difficulty: EasyWord Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

In formal English, negative prefixes must conform to specific morphological rules of assimilation. Which of the following words correctly completes the sentence below?

'The committee found the officer's conduct to be completely _______, as he failed to follow safety protocols.'

  1. A
    unresponsible
  2. irresponsibleAnswer
  3. C
    disresponsible
  4. D
    nonresponsible

Answer

The word 'irresponsible' correctly completes the sentence.
The correct form is 'irresponsible'. When forming the negative of adjectives starting with 'r', the prefix 'in-' undergoes phonetic assimilation and becomes 'ir-'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the required meaning and base root.
The sentence requires an adjective meaning 'not responsible' to describe conduct violating safety protocols.
Contextual evidence indicates a negative behavioral attribute derived from the root word 'responsible'.
2
Apply the rule of prefix assimilation for Latinate roots.
The negative prefix 'in-' converts to 'ir-' before stems starting with the liquid consonant 'r'.
English morphological rules require 'ir-' before words starting with 'r' (e.g., responsible -> irresponsible, regular -> irregular).

Key Concept

Negative prefix assimilation rules
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Topics

Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

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