2nd Grade ELA Quiz: Decode Words With Prefixes And Suffixes

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Decode Words With Prefixes And Suffixes, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for 2nd Grade ELA.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. happening now (correct answer)
2. in the past
3. not
4. a person who

Explanation: The ending -ing means something is happening now, like jumping means someone is jumping right now. In the past describes something that already happened, so Choice B is incorrect. Not means the opposite of something, which does not match -ing, so Choice C is incorrect. A person who describes someone doing an action, not when it happens, so Choice D is incorrect. The correct answer matches how -ing shows an action happening right now.

Question 2

1. before
2. small
3. not
4. again (correct answer)

Explanation: The prefix re- means again, so replay means to play again. That is why again is correct. Before is the meaning of a prefix like pre-, not re-. Small is not a meaning connected to this prefix at all. Not is the meaning of a prefix like un-, so it does not match re- either.

Question 3

1. full of care
2. without care (correct answer)
3. care again

Explanation: We are learning about suffixes. The suffix -less means without something. When you are careless, you are without care.

Question 4

1. It already happened. (correct answer)
2. It is happening right now.
3. It will happen later.

Explanation: The ending -ed shows that an action already happened, so played means the action is finished. Saying it is happening now describes present tense, which does not use -ed. Saying it will happen later describes future tense, which uses words like will, not -ed. The ending -ed tells the reader that an action took place in the past.

Question 5

1. to lock again
2. to not lock (correct answer)
3. to lock

Explanation: We're learning about prefixes. The prefix 'un-' means 'not' or 'opposite.' So unlock means to NOT lock something.

Question 6

1. full of
2. without (correct answer)
3. again

Explanation: We're learning about suffixes. The suffix '-less' means 'without' or 'not having.' Careless means without care.

Question 7

1. to read before
2. to not read
3. to read again (correct answer)

Explanation: We're learning about prefixes. The prefix 're-' means 'again.' So reread means to read something again.

Question 8

1. again (correct answer)
2. not
3. before

Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. The prefix 're-' means to do something again. When you 'redo' something, you do it again.

Question 9

1. happening now (correct answer)
2. already happened
3. more

Explanation: We are learning about word endings. The ending '-ing' tells us something is happening right now. 'Jumping' means you are jumping now.

Question 10

1. unlock (correct answer)
2. relock
3. locked

Explanation: Adding the prefix un- to lock forms the word unlock, which means to open something that was locked. Relock is not formed by adding un-, since re- is a different prefix with a different meaning. Locked is formed by adding -ed, not un-, so it does not match the instruction. Knowing how prefixes like un- change a word's meaning helps readers build new words.

Question 11

1. again
2. before
3. not (correct answer)

Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. The prefix 'un-' means 'not.' When something is 'unsafe,' it is not safe.

Question 12

1. re
2. lay
3. play (correct answer)

Explanation: The base word in replay is play, since re- is a prefix added to the beginning. Re is only the prefix, not the base word. Lay is not the correct base word because it leaves out the letter p from play.

Question 13

1. a person who teaches (correct answer)
2. to teach again
3. not teach

Explanation: We're learning about suffixes. The suffix '-er' means 'a person who does something.' A teacher is a person who teaches.

Question 14

1. in a quick way (correct answer)
2. not quick
3. more quick

Explanation: We are learning about suffixes. The suffix -ly tells how something is done. Quickly means in a quick way.

Question 15

1. not safe (correct answer)
2. safe again
3. very safe
4. safe person

Explanation: This question tests 2nd grade ability to decode words with prefixes and suffixes (CCSS.RF.2.3.d). Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning; suffixes are word parts added to the end. The prefix un- means 'not' or the opposite of something. When you add it to a base word like safe, it changes the meaning: safe means protected from harm, so unsafe means not safe or dangerous. Choice A is correct because 'not safe' matches unsafe, and the base word is safe with un- added to the beginning; together they mean the opposite of safe. Choice B is incorrect because it confuses un- with re-, which means 'again'; this error happens when students don't recognize prefix meanings or confuse them with others. To help students, use color coding like [un] + [safe] = unsafe, practice with pictures showing safe vs. unsafe situations, and make charts of un- words to show how it changes meanings to opposites.

Question 16

1. again
2. not (correct answer)
3. before
4. fast

Explanation: This question tests 2nd grade ability to decode words with prefixes and suffixes (CCSS.RF.2.3.d). Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning; suffixes are word parts added to the end. The prefix un- means 'not' or to reverse an action. When you add it to a base word like lock, it changes the meaning: lock means to secure something closed, so unlock means to reverse that or make it not locked. Choice B is correct because un- means 'not' in unlock, as in not locked, and the base word is lock with un- added to the beginning; together they mean to open something that was locked. Choice A is incorrect because it confuses un- with re-, which means 'again'; this error happens when students mix up prefix meanings or don't recognize how un- changes the word to its opposite. To help students, use visual breakdowns with color coding like [un] + [lock] = unlock, teach prefix meanings explicitly such as un- = not, and practice with familiar base words by covering the prefix to reveal the base word.

Question 17

1. before
2. not
3. a person who
4. again (correct answer)

Explanation: This question tests 2nd grade ability to decode words with prefixes and suffixes (CCSS.RF.2.3.d). Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning; suffixes are word parts added to the end. The prefix re- means 'again' or to do something back. When you add it to a base word like read, it changes the meaning: read means to look at and understand written words, so reread means to read again. Choice A is correct because re- means 'again' in reread, and the base word is read with re- added to the beginning; together they mean to read something once more. Choice B is incorrect because it confuses re- with un-, which means 'not'; this error happens when students don't recognize the specific meaning of re- or take only part of the word. To help students, start with familiar base words and make word family charts showing base + different prefixes, use pictures to show before/after like reading a book then rereading it, and watch for confusion between similar prefixes like un- and re-.

Question 18

1. showing more of something
2. something that happened already
3. not the case at all
4. a person who does something (correct answer)

Explanation: Adding -er to teach makes teacher, which means a person who teaches. Showing more of something is the meaning of -er in a word like faster, not here. Something that happened already describes the ending -ed, not -er. Not the case at all describes a prefix like un-, not the ending -er.

Question 19

1. unsafe (correct answer)
2. safed
3. safety

Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. When we add 'un' to 'safe', we get 'unsafe'. The prefix 'un' means 'not', so unsafe means not safe.

Question 20

1. quick
2. quickest
3. quickly (correct answer)

Explanation: This is about making adverbs. When we add '-ly' to 'quick', we get 'quickly'. It tells how something is done in a quick way.