Final answer:
The statement about prefixes 'pre-' and 'post-' attaching to words without a hyphen is not an absolute rule, as hyphens can sometimes be used for clarity. Assimilation of prefixes, like 'ad-' changing to 'as-' in 'ascribe,' illustrates how English words can evolve to make pronunciation more natural.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the prefixes pre-and post are attached to words without the hyphen can be both true and false, depending on the word in question. Generally, prefixes like pre- and post- can be attached directly to words without a hyphen (e.g., pretest, postwar), particularly when the resulting word is clear and well-established.
However, sometimes a hyphen may be used for clarity, especially when the combination of the prefix and the base word might lead to confusion or misreading (e.g., pre-existing, post-production).
The use of hyphens with prefixes can be nuanced and might change over time as language evolves and certain compound words become more accepted.
Assimilation, such as seen with the prefix ad- leading to full assimilation and double letters, occurs in some English words due to the prefix combining with a base that starts with a similar sound.
This is also observed with other prefixes like com-, in-, and sub-, often to make the word easier to pronounce. For example, 'ad' + 'scribe' assimilates to ascribe, demonstrating how the prefixes integrate with stems to form new words.