Where are prefixes placed relative to the base word?

Where are prefixes placed relative to the base word?

• A. In front of
• B. At the end
• C. In the middle
• D. Both before and after

Answer: (A)

Prefixes are attached to the beginning of a base word to modify its meaning, so they sit in front of the base word. For example, un- in unhappy changes the meaning to “not happy.” In contrast, suffixes go at the end of a word, infixes aren’t used in standard English word formation, and adding elements on both sides isn’t the usual pattern for forming a new word. So the correct placement is in front of the base word.

Prefixes are attached to the beginning of a base word to modify its meaning, so they sit in front of the base word. For example, un- in unhappy changes the meaning to “not happy.” In contrast, suffixes go at the end of a word, infixes aren’t used in standard English word formation, and adding elements on both sides isn’t the usual pattern for forming a new word. So the correct placement is in front of the base word.