Quiz-Tree

Suffixes that indicate Agents, Beliefs, and Making

Five suffixes here do two distinct jobs. -er/-or, -ism, and  -ist build nouns that name people and the beliefs they hold, while  -ize/-ise and -ify build verbs expressing change. After this  quiz, you will be able to identify agents and practitioners in unfamiliar  vocabulary, and recognize when a verb suffix signals a process of making or  becoming.

Question 1 of 10
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Question 1
The suffix -er appears in words like teacher and writer. With many verbs borrowed from Latin, the same suffix appears as -or, as in actor and narrator. What does this suffix mean?
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The suffix -ism appears in words like realism and skepticism. What does this suffix mean?
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The suffix -ist appears in words like realist and optimist. What does this suffix mean?
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The word modernize contains the suffix -ize. In British English, the same suffix is often spelled -ise, as in modernise — both spellings carry the same meaning. How does -ize shape the meaning of modernize?
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The word clarify contains the suffix -ify. How does -ify shape the meaning of this word?
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The word error ends in -or. A student reasons that since -or means "one who performs an action," error must refer to a person who makes mistakes. What is wrong with this reasoning?
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The word prioritize contains the suffix -ize. Which statement best describes what -ize contributes to this word?
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The suffix -ism appears in solipsism. The root combines Latin solus (alone) and ipse (self). What does solipsism most likely mean?
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The suffix -ist appears in protagonist. The roots prot- (first) and agon- (contest or struggle) come from Greek. What does protagonist most likely mean?
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The suffix -ify appears in rectify. The root rect- comes from Latin meaning "right" or "straight." What does rectify most likely mean?
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