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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Which of the following suffixes typically indicates the quality of something?

-less
-ness
-esque
-able

The correct answer is: -ness

The suffix -ness is commonly used in English to indicate the quality or state of being related to the root word it is attached to. When this suffix is added to an adjective, it transforms the word into a noun that expresses a particular quality or condition. For example, adding -ness to the adjective "happy" creates the noun "happiness," which denotes the quality of being happy. This suffix serves as a useful tool for conveying abstract qualities in language, allowing for more nuanced communication about states or conditions. Other suffixes listed may modify words in ways different from signifying quality; for instance, -less suggests a lack of something, -esque indicates a stylistic resemblance, and -able implies the potential for action or suitability. Thus, -ness is specifically aligned with mapping a quality to the original descriptor.