MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Reading Practice Test

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Prepare for the MTEL Communication Literacy Skills Reading Test. Study with flashcards, questions, and hints to excel in your exam.

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What is the meaning of the adjective suffix -ful?

  1. Indicating a lack of something

  2. Marked by or filled with something

  3. Causing or making something

  4. Suggesting a particular quality

The correct answer is: Marked by or filled with something

The adjective suffix -ful means "marked by" or "filled with," indicating an abundance or presence of a particular quality, characteristic, or emotion. For example, in words like "joyful," the suffix denotes a state of being filled with joy. This highlights how -ful transforms a noun into an adjective that describes something that possesses or is characterized by the essence of that noun. In contrast, other suffixes denote different meanings. "Indicating a lack of something" refers more to the suffix -less, commonly used to denote absence. The notion of "causing or making something" is often conveyed through suffixes like -ic or -ous, which can impart a sense of action rather than an abundance. Meanwhile, "suggesting a particular quality" aligns more closely with other descriptive or qualitative suffixes but does not capture the fullness represented by -ful. Thus, the option that correctly encapsulates the meaning of -ful is the one that speaks to being filled with or marked by a certain trait.