MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Reading Practice Test

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

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

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Which of the following is the meaning of the prefix 'ad-'?

  1. To or toward

  2. From or away

  3. Against or opposing

  4. In or on

The correct answer is: To or toward

The prefix 'ad-' is derived from Latin and typically means "to" or "toward." This prefix is used in many English words to indicate direction, movement, or an addition towards something. For instance, in words like "advance," it suggests moving forward or towards a goal, while in "adapt," it implies modifying something to fit a new situation. The other options represent different prefixes with distinct meanings. For example, prefixes implying "from" or "away" would correspond to 'ab-' or 'de-,' while "against" pertains to prefixes like 'anti-' or 'contra-.' The notion of "in" or "on" aligns more closely with prefixes such as 'in-' or 'sub-', which have specific usages unrelated to the meaning of 'ad-.' Understanding these distinctions helps clarify how prefixes can affect the meanings of base words in English.