Which suffix means 'result of, act of'?

Prepare for the ASVAB Skilled Technical Test. Practice with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question offers hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which suffix means 'result of, act of'?

Ion is the suffix that names the act or result of an action. When you add it to a verb stem, you get a noun that refers to the process itself or the outcome produced by that action. For example, act becomes action (the act of acting), form becomes formation (the act of forming or the result of forming), create becomes creation, and react becomes reaction. This makes ion a clear way to express “the act of” or “the result of” in a noun form. Other suffixes shift meaning in different ways: en often means to cause to become or to furnish with, rather than naming the act itself; ation is a closely related noun-forming suffix that also denotes action or process, but the general sense of naming the act or result is most cleanly captured by ion; ish suggests similarity or a rough quality, not an action or result.

Ion is the suffix that names the act or result of an action. When you add it to a verb stem, you get a noun that refers to the process itself or the outcome produced by that action. For example, act becomes action (the act of acting), form becomes formation (the act of forming or the result of forming), create becomes creation, and react becomes reaction. This makes ion a clear way to express “the act of” or “the result of” in a noun form.

Other suffixes shift meaning in different ways: en often means to cause to become or to furnish with, rather than naming the act itself; ation is a closely related noun-forming suffix that also denotes action or process, but the general sense of naming the act or result is most cleanly captured by ion; ish suggests similarity or a rough quality, not an action or result.

More practice questions