Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. The word "construct" is a verb meaning "to build." When you add the suffix -ion to make "construction," how does the word change?
A) It becomes an adjective meaning easy to build
B) It becomes a noun meaning the act or process of building
C) It becomes an adverb meaning while building
D) It stays a verb but changes to past tense
The suffix -ion turns a verb into a noun that names an act or process. So construct, the verb meaning to build, becomes construction, the noun meaning the act or process of building.
2. Which pair of words shows a prefix changing a word to its opposite meaning?
A) happy / happiness
B) agree / disagree
C) teach / teacher
D) slow / slowly
Adding dis- to agree creates disagree, which means the opposite of agreeing. The other pairs only add suffixes that change part of speech rather than reverse the meaning.
3. The word "courage" is a noun. What part of speech is "courageous," and which suffix caused the change?
A) Verb; the suffix -ous turns nouns into verbs
B) Adjective; the suffix -ous turns nouns into adjectives
C) Adverb; the suffix -ous turns nouns into adverbs
D) Noun; the suffix -ous does not change the part of speech
Courage is a noun, but adding -ous gives courageous, an adjective describing someone full of courage. The suffix -ous regularly turns nouns into adjectives.
4. A student reads the unfamiliar word "unbreakable." Using prefix and suffix knowledge, what is the best definition?
A) Already broken into pieces
B) Able to be broken very easily
C) The act of breaking something apart
D) Not able to be broken
Un- means not and -able means capable of being, so unbreakable means not capable of being broken. Putting the prefix and suffix together leads directly to that definition.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Adding the suffix -er to the verb "teach" creates the noun "teacher," meaning one who teaches.
The suffix -er attached to a verb means one who does the action, so teacher names a person who teaches. The verb form fills in the missing word naturally.
2. The prefix un- reverses the meaning of a word, so "unfair" means not fair.
Un- reverses the meaning of the word it joins, so unfair means the opposite of fair, which is not fair. The base adjective stays the same and only its truth flips.
3. When the suffix -able is added to "read," the new word "readable" means capable of being read.
The suffix -able means capable of, so readable describes something capable of being read. Capable fits because it is the meaning the suffix carries into the new word.
4. The word "careless" is an adjective, but adding -ness creates "carelessness," which is a noun.
The suffix -ness turns an adjective into a noun naming a state or quality. So careless, an adjective, becomes carelessness, a noun for the state of being careless.
5. Adding the prefix anti- to "social" creates "antisocial," meaning against social behavior.
The prefix anti- means against, so antisocial behavior is behavior against being social or against other people. The prefix changes a friendly idea into its opposite.