The suffix '-ance' or '-ence' denotes 'an instance of an action'. Which is correct?

• A. -age
• B. -al
• C. -ance or -ence
• D. -able or -ible

Answer: (C)

Suffixes -ance and -ence form nouns that name the act, process, or state of something. They turn a verb into a noun that represents the act of doing that verb or the result of that action, i.e., an instance of the action. Examples include appearance (the act of appearing), existence (the state of existing), and performance (the act of performing). Because of that, using -ance or -ence correctly conveys the idea of an action being carried out or a situation arising from it.

Other endings don’t fit this exact sense. -age tends to refer to a thing produced or a collection or result (like storage or courage), rather than the act itself. -al often creates adjectives or nouns related to, or characterized by, something rather than the act. -able or -ible describe capability or possibility, not the act or state itself.