Quiz-Tree
Question 1
The suffix -ic appears in prolific. The root
prolif- relates to Latin proles (offspring) and the idea
of producing. What does prolific most likely mean?
"-ic" forms adjectives meaning "relating to or characteristic of."
Prolific = characteristic of producing a great deal — used of
writers, artists, or any source of abundant output. The root prolif-
(production of offspring or new growth) explains the fertility and abundance
the word implies.
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Answer question 1 to unlock
The word ceremonial contains the suffix -ial. Before
most roots, this suffix appears in its base form -al, as in
logical and seasonal. How does -ial shape the
meaning of ceremonial?
"-al" and its variant "-ial" form adjectives meaning
"relating to or characterized by." Ceremonial = relating to or
appropriate for a ceremony. Logical = relating to logic. The
variant "-ial" appears when the root already ends in certain
sounds: ceremony → ceremonial.
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Answer question 2 to unlock
The suffix -ate appears in verbs like generate and
evaluate. What does this suffix mean when it forms a verb?
As a verb suffix, "-ate" means "to act upon or cause."
Generate = to cause something to come into being;
evaluate = to act upon something by assessing its value. Note
that "-ate" can also form adjectives (passionate) and
nouns (candidate), so context determines the part of speech.
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Answer question 3 to unlock
The word golden ends in -en. A student expects
golden to be a verb meaning "to make something gold," by analogy
with darken and strengthen. What does golden
actually mean, and what does that reveal about -en?
"-en" has two distinct roles. As a verb suffix, it means "to make
or become": darken, strengthen, broaden. As an
adjective suffix, it means "made of or resembling": golden,
wooden, woolen. Context — particularly whether the word
functions as a verb or adjective — reveals which role "-en" is
playing.
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Answer question 4 to unlock
The suffix -ate appears in exacerbate. The root
acerb- comes from Latin meaning "harsh" or "bitter." What does
exacerbate most likely mean?
"-ate" means "to act upon or cause." Exacerbate = to act
upon something in a way that makes it harsher or more severe — to worsen.
The prefix ex- intensifies the root: acerb-
(harsh/bitter) + ex- (out/intensifying) + "-ate" = to
make bitterly worse.
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Answer question 5 to unlock
The words historic and historical both use forms of the
suffix -ic/-ical. How do their meanings differ?
"-ic" and "-ical" usually mean the same thing — "relating
to or characteristic of" — but a few pairs carry distinct meanings.
Historic = notably significant or famous (a historic achievement).
Historical = simply relating to history or the past (a historical
document). Not every "-ic"/-ical pair differs this way,
but this pair is frequently tested.
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Answer question 6 to unlock
The suffix -ious appears in loquacious. The root
loqu- comes from Latin meaning "to speak." What does
loquacious most likely mean?
"-ious" (a variant of "-ous") forms adjectives meaning
"full of or having the quality of." Loquacious = having the
quality of much speaking — excessively talkative. The root loqu-
also appears in eloquent (speaking out well) and
colloquial (relating to conversational speech).
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Answer question 7 to unlock
The word remedial contains the suffix -ial. How does
-al/-ial shape the meaning of this word?
"-ial" (a variant of "-al") forms adjectives meaning
"relating to or characterized by." Remedial = relating to a remedy
or correction — often used to describe instruction designed to address a
specific difficulty.
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Answer question 8 to unlock
The suffix -en appears in verbs like strengthen and
darken. What does this suffix mean?
"-en" attaches to adjectives or nouns to form verbs meaning "to
make or become." Strengthen = to make strong;
darken = to make or become dark. The underlying noun or adjective
is always identifiable: strength → strengthen, dark →
darken.
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Answer question 9 to unlock
The suffix -ous appears in words like glorious and
ambiguous. When the root ends in certain consonant clusters, the
suffix appears as -ious, as in tenacious. What does
this suffix mean?
"-ous" (and its variant "-ious") forms adjectives meaning
"full of or having the quality of." Glorious = full of glory;
tenacious = having the quality of holding firmly. The spelling
shifts to "-ious" for pronunciation, but the meaning is identical.
correct answers
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