Which option correctly describes how roots, prefixes, and suffixes help with vocabulary?

Which option correctly describes how roots, prefixes, and suffixes help with vocabulary?

• A. They tell you the color of the word.
• B. They are decorative parts of words.
• C. They reveal base meaning and degree of change; knowing affixes helps guess definitions.
• D. They confuse readers by changing parts of speech.

Answer: (C)

Understanding roots, prefixes, and suffixes helps you unlock word meaning. The root gives the basic idea of a word, and prefixes or suffixes show how that idea is changed or used in different ways. When you know common affixes, you can infer the definition of unfamiliar words and also figure out how the word functions in a sentence. For example, the root port means carry; adding the prefix trans- gives transport (carry across), and the suffix -able turns it into portable (able to be carried). This shows how affixes provide clues about both meaning and usage. The other ideas aren’t accurate because affixes aren’t decorative or meant to confuse; they actively signal how a word’s meaning shifts and how it fits in grammar.

Understanding roots, prefixes, and suffixes helps you unlock word meaning. The root gives the basic idea of a word, and prefixes or suffixes show how that idea is changed or used in different ways. When you know common affixes, you can infer the definition of unfamiliar words and also figure out how the word functions in a sentence. For example, the root port means carry; adding the prefix trans- gives transport (carry across), and the suffix -able turns it into portable (able to be carried). This shows how affixes provide clues about both meaning and usage. The other ideas aren’t accurate because affixes aren’t decorative or meant to confuse; they actively signal how a word’s meaning shifts and how it fits in grammar.