Prefixes & Suffixes (Intro) — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. help + er = helper
The suffix -er can mean 'a person who does', so helper is one who helps.
2. help + ful = helpful
The suffix -ful means 'full of', so helpful means full of help.
3. help + less = helpless
The suffix -less means 'without', so helpless means without help.
4. quick + ly = quickly
The suffix -ly turns an adjective into an adverb that tells how.
5. care + ful = careful
Care + ful means full of care, an adjective describing someone cautious.
6. teach + er = teacher
The suffix -er names the person, so teacher is one who teaches.
7. fear + less = fearless
Fear + less means without fear, an adjective meaning brave.
8. slow + ly = slowly
Slow + ly becomes an adverb meaning 'in a slow way'.
9. paint + er = painter
The suffix -er names the doer, so painter is one who paints.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
teacher
→ noun (person)
noun (person)
helpful
→ adjective (full of)
adjective (full of)
fearless
→ adjective (without)
adjective (without)
quickly
→ adverb (how)
adverb (how)
Suffixes often signal part of speech, so spotting them helps readers identify how a word is used in a sentence.