Finding the Appropriate Prefix for 'timed'

The question asks us to choose the correct prefix to complete the sentence: "The cricket player ___timed hitting the ball. It flew over his head and reached the boundary ropes." We need to consider the meaning of the sentence to determine the correct prefix.

The outcome described is that the ball "flew over his head and reached the boundary ropes." In cricket, when a shot goes over the player's head towards the boundary, it often implies a poor connection or an error in timing the hit. This suggests that the player did not hit the ball correctly in terms of timing.

Let's examine the given prefix options and how they would combine with 'timed':

• mis-: This prefix often means 'wrongly' or 'badly'. When combined with 'timed', it forms the word 'mistimed', which means timed wrongly or badly. This fits the context of the sentence where the result indicates a problem with the timing of the hit.
• un-: This prefix often means 'not' or 'opposite of'. 'Untimed' means not timed or without timing. This does not fit the context of hitting a ball in cricket, which is an action that involves timing.
• dis-: This prefix can mean 'not', 'away', or 'apart'. 'Distimed' is not a standard English word formed with this prefix and 'timed'.
• mal-: This prefix often means 'bad' or 'poorly'. While semantically similar to 'mis-', 'maltimed' is not a standard or commonly used word in English, whereas 'mistimed' is the correct and standard term used in sports, including cricket, to describe incorrect timing of an action.

Based on the analysis of the prefixes and the context of the sentence, the word 'mistimed' is the appropriate choice. It accurately describes a situation in cricket where a player hits the ball with incorrect timing, leading to an unintended result like the ball going over their head.

Therefore, the complete sentence is: "The cricket player mistimed hitting the ball. It flew over his head and reached the boundary ropes."