What is a suffix?

What is a suffix?

• A. A suffix is added to the end of a word to give it a new meaning.
• B. A suffix is added to the beginning of a word to indicate tense.
• C. A suffix is used to replace the root entirely.
• D. A suffix indicates the word's part of speech.

Answer: (A)

A suffix is a small unit of meaning attached to the end of a word to change its meaning or its grammatical form. It sits after the root and helps show tense, number, or what kind of word it is. For example, adding -s makes a noun plural (cat → cats); -ed marks past tense (walk → walked); -ly turns an adjective into an adverb (quick → quickly); -ness turns an adjective into a noun (happy → happiness). This is why the statement about being added to the end to give it a new meaning is the best description. Suffixes are different from prefixes, which go at the beginning, and they don’t usually replace the root; they attach to it to modify its meaning or grammatical role. While some suffixes give hints about a word’s part of speech, their main purpose is to attach at the end to form new word forms.

A suffix is a small unit of meaning attached to the end of a word to change its meaning or its grammatical form. It sits after the root and helps show tense, number, or what kind of word it is. For example, adding -s makes a noun plural (cat → cats); -ed marks past tense (walk → walked); -ly turns an adjective into an adverb (quick → quickly); -ness turns an adjective into a noun (happy → happiness). This is why the statement about being added to the end to give it a new meaning is the best description. Suffixes are different from prefixes, which go at the beginning, and they don’t usually replace the root; they attach to it to modify its meaning or grammatical role. While some suffixes give hints about a word’s part of speech, their main purpose is to attach at the end to form new word forms.