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Multiple Choice

Which suffix means 'one who or which that does'?

The suffix that means “one who does” is -ist. It turns a base word into a noun that names a person who practices or specializes in a field or activity. For example, a scientist is someone who works in science, a pianist is someone who plays piano, and an artist creates art. The other suffixes don’t consistently signal a person who performs an action: -ion creates nouns that express action or result (not the doer), -ic forms adjectives related to or characteristic of something, and -ish gives adjectives meaning somewhat like or belonging to. So -ist is the best fit for denoting “one who does.”

The suffix that means “one who does” is -ist. It turns a base word into a noun that names a person who practices or specializes in a field or activity. For example, a scientist is someone who works in science, a pianist is someone who plays piano, and an artist creates art. The other suffixes don’t consistently signal a person who performs an action: -ion creates nouns that express action or result (not the doer), -ic forms adjectives related to or characteristic of something, and -ish gives adjectives meaning somewhat like or belonging to. So -ist is the best fit for denoting “one who does.”