Answer the following question below and choose the appropriate stress pattern from the options. The syllables are underlined in capital letters. impossible

Analyze the question: You are asked where the primary stress falls in the word "impossible."

Explain the concept: Stress is the extra force or prominence placed on one syllable of a word. In English, words ending in -ible / -able usually do not take the stress on the suffix. The stress tends to fall earlier, often on the third syllable from the end (the antepenultimate syllable).

Show the solution:

1. Break the word into syllables: im-POS-si-ble (4 syllables).
2. Count from the end: -ble (1st from the end), -si- (2nd), -pos- (3rd), im- (4th).
3. The primary stress falls on the third syllable from the end, "pos."
4. Say it aloud: im-POS-si-ble. This matches the standard pronunciation /ɪmˈpɒsəbl/.

Checking the other options:

• B. IMpossible puts the stress on the first syllable, which is wrong. The prefix "im-" is normally unstressed.
• C. imposSIBLE stresses the "si" syllable, which is not the standard pattern.
• D. impossiBLE stresses the final suffix, which is incorrect for words ending in -ible.

Answer: The stress falls on "POS," so the correct option is A. imPOSsible.

Tip: For words ending in -ible or -able (possible, probable, comfortable, impossible), the suffix is almost never stressed. Look for the stress about three syllables from the end. Compare: POSsible → imPOSsible, where the stress stays on the same root syllable even when the prefix is added.