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Multiple Choice

The suffix -ly in word formation is best described as meaning:

The suffix -ly is used to signal the manner or quality of something, essentially conveying “in the way of” or “like.” It turns a word into one that describes how something is done or what quality it has. For example, quickly means in a quick manner, happily means in a happy manner, and friendly describes a quality that is like a friend. Because of this sense of resemblance or manner, the best description for -ly here is “like.” The other options don’t fit this sense. End and Process are unrelated to describing how something is done or what quality something has, and Short doesn’t capture the general function of -ly (even though a word with -ly can sometimes refer to time, its primary role is to indicate manner or characteristic, not length or duration).

The suffix -ly is used to signal the manner or quality of something, essentially conveying “in the way of” or “like.” It turns a word into one that describes how something is done or what quality it has. For example, quickly means in a quick manner, happily means in a happy manner, and friendly describes a quality that is like a friend. Because of this sense of resemblance or manner, the best description for -ly here is “like.”

The other options don’t fit this sense. End and Process are unrelated to describing how something is done or what quality something has, and Short doesn’t capture the general function of -ly (even though a word with -ly can sometimes refer to time, its primary role is to indicate manner or characteristic, not length or duration).