Question 1

The suffix -tion appears in description, and the variant -sion appears in tension. What does this suffix signal about a word?

• A it marks the word as an adjective describing a quality
• B it marks the word as an adverb describing how an action is performed
• C it marks the word as a noun referring to an act or state
• D it marks the word as a verb describing an action

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The suffix -ance appears in tolerance, and the variant -ence appears in persistence. What does this suffix mean?

• A one who tolerates or persists
• B state, quality, or process of
• C act or process of
• D capable of tolerating

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The suffix -ize appears in emphasize and stabilize. In British English, the same suffix is spelled -ise. What does this suffix mean?

• A full of or having the quality of
• B to make, cause, or become
• C capable of being
• D relating to or characterized by

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The suffix -ous appears in words like glorious. In voracious, the same suffix takes the form -ious. The root vorac- relates to devouring or consuming. How does -ious shape the meaning of voracious?

• A It forms an adjective meaning having the quality of consuming a great deal; extremely eager
• B It forms an adverb meaning in a consuming or devouring manner
• C It forms a verb meaning to consume greedily
• D It forms a noun meaning one who devours

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The word candidly contains the suffix -ly. How does -ly shape the meaning of this word?

• A It converts the adjective candid into a comparative meaning more candid
• B It converts the adjective candid into an adverb meaning in a frank and honest manner
• C It converts the adjective candid into a noun meaning the quality of being candid
• D It converts the noun candidate into a verb meaning to campaign openly

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The word nuance ends in -ance. A student applies the suffix rule and predicts that nuance means "the state or quality of nuan-ing." What is wrong with this reasoning?

• A "-ance" only applies when the root has at least two syllables, and "nu-" is too short
• B Nothing — nuance does refer to the state of being subtle or understated
• C Nuance is borrowed whole from French, where "-ance" is part of the root (from nuer, to shade) — there is no English verb "to nuan," and "-ance" is not a separately added suffix here
• D The suffix in nuance is actually "-ce," not "-ance," so the rule does not apply

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The word scrutinize contains the suffix -ize. Which statement best describes what -ize contributes to this word?

• A It converts the noun scrutiny into a noun meaning a person who scrutinizes
• B It converts the noun scrutiny into a verb meaning to examine closely and carefully
• C It converts the noun scrutiny into an adjective meaning characterized by close inspection
• D It converts the noun scrutiny into an adverb meaning with great attention to detail

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The suffix -sion appears in derision. The root derid- comes from Latin meaning "to laugh at or mock." What does derision most likely mean?

• A a state of confusion brought on by contradictory information
• B a formal process for disputing a claim or decision
• C the act of mocking or ridiculing; scornful contempt
• D the act of carefully examining the flaws in an argument

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The suffix -ious appears in mendacious. The root mendac- comes from Latin meaning "lying" or "untruthful." What does mendacious most likely mean?

• A having the quality of being vague or deliberately unclear
• B having the quality of being easily persuaded by false claims
• C full of or prone to lying; habitually untruthful
• D relating to the careful process of verifying the truth of a claim

🔒 Answer question 9 to unlock

The suffix -ly appears in perfunctorily. The root perfunctory means "carried out as a routine duty, with minimal effort or care." What does perfunctorily most likely mean?

• A in a manner that is bold and assertive, disregarding convention
• B in a manner that is hasty, superficial, and without genuine care
• C in a cautious and deliberate manner, carefully avoiding mistakes
• D in a thorough and methodical manner, leaving no detail unexamined