Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. The words "portable," "transport," "export," and "report" all share the Latin root port. What does the root port mean?
A) To build or create
B) To carry or move
C) To write or record
D) To break or divide
All four words contain port, which means "to carry." Portable means easy to carry, transport means to carry across, export means to carry out, and report means to carry back information.
2. The words "spectacle," "inspect," "spectator," and "respect" share the root spect. Based on these words, what does spect most likely mean?
A) To speak
B) To touch
C) To look or see
D) To hear
Spect means "to look or see." A spectacle is something worth looking at, inspect means to look into closely, a spectator watches, and respect means to look back at someone with admiration.
3. An author writes books, authority means power to command, and authorize means to give official permission. What root do they share and what does it mean?
A) auth — meaning to create or increase
B) thor — meaning to send or throw
C) hor — meaning to frighten
D) author — meaning to originate or promote
The shared root author means "to originate or promote." An author originates a story, authority is the power that comes from being the originator, and authorize means to give official approval to proceed.
4. Knowing that the root form means "shape," which sentence uses a form-family word incorrectly?
A) The clay was formless until the artist shaped it.
B) School uniforms make everyone dress in the same form.
C) She needs to reform the dough into a round ball.
D) He used information to break the vase into pieces.
Information (from form, meaning "shape") refers to knowledge that shapes understanding — it cannot physically break a vase, making that sentence incorrect.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The words describe, inscribe, prescribe, and subscribe all share the Latin root scrib or script, which means to write.
Scrib and script both come from the Latin word for "write." Describe means to write about, inscribe means to write into a surface, prescribe means to write a direction beforehand, and subscribe means to sign up in writing.
2. Conduct, produce, and introduce all share the root duct or duc, which means to lead or guide.
Duc and duct mean "to lead." A conductor leads an orchestra, produce means to lead something forward into existence, and introduce means to lead someone into a new group.
3. If the root mit or miss means "to send," then to transmit means to send across from one place to another.
Trans- means "across" and mit means "to send," so transmit means to send a signal or message across a distance from one place to another.
4. The root ven or vent means "to come." An convention is a gathering where people come together, and to prevent means to stop something before it comes.
Con- means "together" and ven means "to come," so a convention is a gathering where people come together in one place to meet and share ideas.
5. Knowing that the root mot or mov means "to move," a motive is something that gives you a reason to move into action.
The root mot means "to move," so a motive is the reason that moves you to act — detectives look for a motive to understand why someone did something.