Which suffix means 'a condition or manner'?

• A. ation
• B. ism
• C. ic
• D. ity

Answer: (B)

A suffix that turns a base into a noun often signals a state of being, a condition, or a system. The ending -ism does exactly that: it names a state of mind, a belief, a practice, or a particular system, which fits the idea of “a condition or manner.” For instance, optimism describes a state of mind, and capitalism describes a system of economic practice. The other endings don’t convey a condition or manner in the same direct way: -ation marks action or process, -ic forms adjectives, and -ity denotes a state or quality but not the sense of a mode or system as clearly as -ism.