Greek and Latin Roots — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
The root "auto" means "life," so an automobile runs on life.
Corrected: The root "auto" means "self," so an automobile is a self-moving vehicle.
The corrected sentence is: "The root "auto" means "self," so an automobile is a self-moving vehicle.". The original sentence "The root "auto" means "life," so an automobile runs on life." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
2. Fix the sentence:
A biography is a book written about your own life because "bio" means self.
Corrected: A biography is a book written about someone's life because "bio" means life.
The corrected sentence is: "A biography is a book written about someone's life because "bio" means life.". The original sentence "A biography is a book written about your own life because "bio" means self." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
3. Fix the sentence:
The root "graph" means "to hear," so a paragraph is something you hear.
Corrected: The root "graph" means "to write," so a paragraph is a section of writing.
The corrected sentence is: "The root "graph" means "to write," so a paragraph is a section of writing.". The original sentence "The root "graph" means "to hear," so a paragraph is something you hear." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The root "auto" means self .
Auto means self — automobile (self-moving), autograph (self-writing), autobiography (self-life-writing).
2. The root "bio" means life .
Bio means life — biology (study of life), biography (writing about a life), biome (life region).
3. The root "graph" means to write .
Graph means to write — autograph (self-write), paragraph (section of writing), photograph (writing with light).
4. An autograph is a person's own writing or signature.
Auto (self) + graph (write) = autograph, a person's own handwritten signature.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. How does knowing the root "bio" help you understand the word biology?
Sample answer: Since "bio" means life and "-logy" means study of, biology means the study of life and living things.
Breaking words into roots reveals their literal meanings and aids comprehension of unfamiliar words.
2. What does the word autobiography mean? Use the roots "auto," "bio," and "graph" to explain.
Sample answer: An autobiography is a book someone writes about their own life. "Auto" means self, "bio" means life, and "graph" means write.
Combining three roots — auto (self) + bio (life) + graph (write) — reveals the full meaning of autobiography.