Understanding Word Parts in 'Unemployed'

This question asks us to identify the core part of the word 'unemployed' after removing its prefix and suffix. Let's break down the word to understand its structure.

Identifying Prefix and Suffix

Words are often formed by combining a base (or root) word with prefixes and suffixes.

• A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning (e.g., 'un-', 're-', 'pre-').
• A suffix is added to the end of a word, often changing its grammatical function (e.g., '-ed', '-ing', '-ly').

Breaking Down 'Unemployed'

Let's analyze the word 'unemployed':

• The prefix is 'un-'. This prefix typically means 'not'.
• The suffix is '-ed'. This suffix often indicates the past tense or an adjective form.
• The main part, or the root word, is 'employ'.

So, we can see that:

'un-' (Prefix) + 'employ' (Root Word) + '-ed' (Suffix) = 'unemployed'

Finding the Remaining Word

The question asks what word is left if we take away the prefix ('un-') and the suffix ('-ed') from 'unemployed'.

Removing 'un-' leaves us with 'employed'.

Removing the suffix '-ed' from 'employed' leaves us with the root word 'employ'.

Analyzing the Options

Let's look at the given options:

• 1. 'unemploy': Incorrect, as it removes only the '-ed' suffix, not the 'un-' prefix.
• 2. 'employed': Incorrect, as this still includes the suffix '-ed'.
• 3. 'employ': Correct. This is the root word left after removing both the prefix 'un-' and the suffix '-ed'.
• 4. 'will not change': Incorrect, as prefixes and suffixes can be removed.
• 5. (Empty option)

Conclusion

By identifying and removing the prefix 'un-' and the suffix '-ed' from the word 'unemployed', the remaining word is 'employ'.