It would be ____________ courteous to ignore her.

Select the correct prefix to make the sentence meaningful.

The correct prefix to make the sentence meaningful is: un-

Key Points

• The correct sentence would be: "It would be uncourteous to ignore her."
• The prefix "un-" is used to indicate the opposite or negation of a word.
• In this case, adding the prefix "un-" to the word "courteous" changes its meaning to the opposite, indicating a lack of courtesy.

Important Points

• A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a base word to create a new word with a different meaning. It is a type of affix, which is a group of letters attached to a word stem to modify its meaning or create a new word altogether.
• Prefixes can change the meaning or grammatical function of a word. They can indicate negation, intensify or diminish a word's meaning, indicate time or location, or show the relationship between words.
• Here are some common prefixes and their meanings:
  • Un-: This prefix indicates the opposite or negation of a word. For example, "happy" becomes "unhappy," meaning not happy.
  • Mis-: This prefix denotes a wrong or incorrect action. For example, "behave" becomes "misbehave," indicating inappropriate or improper behavior.
  • Dis-: This prefix often indicates the opposite or reversal of an action. For example, "connect" becomes "disconnect," meaning to separate or detach.
  • De-: This prefix can have various meanings, including removal, reversal, or reduction. For example, "activate" becomes "deactivate," meaning to turn off or disable.
• Prefixes are used to create new words or modify existing words, allowing for greater precision and variety in language. By understanding common prefixes and their meanings, we can decipher unfamiliar words and expand our vocabulary.
• In the given sentence, adding the prefix "un-" to "courteous" changes its meaning to the opposite, indicating a lack of courtesy. The resulting word, "uncourteous," implies that it would not be polite or respectful to ignore her.