Which is a root and not just prefix or suffix?

You're asking about the difference between roots, prefixes, and suffixes in words. To figure this out, let's break down each:

* Root: The core meaning of a word. It's the base that holds the word's essence. It cannot stand alone as a word on its own.

* Prefix: A word part added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.

* Suffix: A word part added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function.

Here's how to tell a root from a prefix or suffix:

* Standalone: A root can't be a word on its own. For example, "graph" is a root, but it's not a word. It needs something added to it to become a word like "telegraph" or "photograph".

* Meaning: A root carries the essential meaning of the word. Prefixes and suffixes modify the meaning of the root.

Examples:

* Root: "scrib" (meaning "write")

* Prefix: "pre" (meaning "before")

* Suffix: "-ing" (meaning "present participle")

To answer your question:

You'll need to give me a word to tell you if it's a root, prefix, or suffix!

For example, if you said "pre-", I would tell you it's a prefix. If you said "graph-", I would tell you it's a root.