Question 1
The suffix -tion appears in common words like celebration.
When the root ends in d or s, the suffix typically becomes -sion,
as in revision. What does this suffix mean?
"-tion" and "-sion" both mark a word as a noun referring
to an act or state. Celebration = the act of celebrating;
revision = the act of revising. The spelling shifts to "-sion"
when the root ends in d or s, but the meaning is identical.
🔒
Answer question 1 to unlock
The suffix -ity appears in words like clarity and
ambiguity. A shorter variant, -ty, appears in words
like loyalty and safety. What does this suffix mean?
"-ity" converts adjectives into nouns meaning "state or quality of."
Clarity = the quality of being clear; ambiguity = the
state of being ambiguous. The shorter variant "-ty" carries the
same meaning: loyalty = the quality of being loyal.
🔒
Answer question 2 to unlock
The suffix -ness appears in words like kindness and
awareness. What does this suffix mean?
"-ness" attaches to adjectives to form nouns meaning "state or
quality of." Kindness = the state of being kind; awareness
= the quality of being aware. Almost any adjective can take "-ness."
🔒
Answer question 3 to unlock
The word assessment contains the suffix -ment. How does
-ment shape the meaning of this word?
"-ment" converts a verb into a noun referring to an action, process,
or result. Assessment = the act or result of assessing. Compare
achievement (the result of achieving) and movement
(the process of moving).
🔒
Answer question 4 to unlock
The suffix -ance appears in resistance. The same suffix
appears as -ence in words like confidence and
patience — the vowel follows the root's spelling and must be
memorized. What does this suffix mean?
"-ance" and "-ence" are variant spellings of the same
suffix — both form nouns meaning "state, quality, or process of."
Resistance = the state of resisting; confidence = the
quality of being confident. The vowel (a vs. e) is determined by the root
and must be memorized; the meaning is identical.
🔒
Answer question 5 to unlock
The word nation ends in -tion. A student concludes that
since -tion means "act or state of," nation must mean
"the act of nat-ing." What is wrong with this reasoning?
Not every word ending in "-tion" uses it as an independently added
suffix. Nation is borrowed whole from Latin natio, meaning
"a people born together" — the "-tion" is part of the root itself,
not a separately attached suffix. When "-tion" is a true suffix,
there is a recognizable English verb beneath it: celebrate +
"-tion," revise + "-sion."
🔒
Answer question 6 to unlock
The word vividness contains the suffix -ness. Which
statement best describes what -ness contributes to this word?
"-ness" converts any adjective into a noun naming that quality.
Vividness = the quality of being vivid — bright, sharp, and
lifelike. The underlying adjective (vivid) is always identifiable
beneath a "-ness" noun.
🔒
Answer question 7 to unlock
The suffix -ment appears in disenchantment. The root
disenchant means "to free someone from an illusion or an idealized
belief." What does disenchantment most likely mean?
"-ment" converts the verb disenchant into a noun referring
to the result or state of that action. Disenchantment = the state
of having been freed from illusion — disappointment felt when something
idealized turns out to be ordinary.
🔒
Answer question 8 to unlock
The suffix -ity appears in perspicacity. The root
perspicac- comes from a Latin word meaning "sharp-sighted" or
"clear-seeing." What does perspicacity most likely mean?
"-ity" signals that the word is a noun meaning "state or quality of."
Perspicacity = the quality of being perspicacious — of thinking
and perceiving with sharpness and clarity. The suffix works identically in
clarity (the quality of being clear) and ambiguity
(the state of being ambiguous).
🔒
Answer question 9 to unlock
The suffix -ence appears in quiescence. The root
quiesc- comes from Latin meaning "to become quiet or still."
What does quiescence most likely mean?
"-ence" converts the root into a noun meaning "state or quality of."
Quiescence = the state of being quiescent — still, quiet, or
inactive. The suffix does the same work in confidence (quality
of being confident) and resistance (state of resisting).
correct answers
💡Tip: Want to see new SAT Vocabulary quizzes?
Make sure the "Notify me about new quizzes" is enabled in your Dashboard.
Make sure the "Notify me about new quizzes" is enabled in your Dashboard.