Discover the Pattern in Words: al, tic, ic, iac, ious, ous, ent

What pattern do the given words follow?

1) The words are formed by adding suffixes to the root word

2) The words are formed by adding prefixes to the root word

3) The words are formed by changing the root word

4) The words are formed by rearranging the letters of the root word

Answer:

The pattern followed by the given words is that they are suffixes added to change the meaning or function of a root word.

The pattern followed by the given words 'al, tic, ic, iac, ious, ous, ent' is that they are all suffixes added to a root word to change its meaning or function in a sentence. These suffixes do not represent prefixes, a change in the root word itself, or a rearrangement of the root word's letters.

In the case of the suffix '-ion,' for example, when added to the base 'digest,' it becomes 'digestion' with the [ch] spelled as -tion due to the phonetic process called palatalization, and the stressed vowel is the one preceding this [ch]. Similarly, the suffix '-ure' when added to 'script' results in 'scripture,' with the [ch] spelled as -ture once again due to palatalization.

Another aspect to consider is how certain prefixes can assimilate to the stem to which they are added. For instance, when the prefixes ad-, com-, and in- are added to stems starting with an s, they transform to ar-, cor-, and ir- due to assimilation, which is a phonetic adjustment of sounds within words. When dealing with the spelling of the long vowel [ē], as in the word 'galleries,' the 'i' in the suffix 'ies' represents this sound.