How a word changes with its ending, and what its root means
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
The council chose the economical heating plan because it used less fuel and cost less each winter. Ari reads a sentence in a school paper. Which meaning fits the word, and what does the ending change?
- in a thrifty way; -ly makes it an adverb, telling how the council chose
- the system of money, work and trade in a place, as in a town's economy
- thrifty and not wasteful; -ical describes how the plan saves
- having to do with the town's economy; -ic describes money and trade
Read this first
Sentence
The council's vote was irrevocable, so the road could not be reopened later. Strip: ir (not) | re (back) | voc (call) | able (able to be)
Luz builds a strip for a word in a history-club report. What does the whole word mean here?
- a call or a voice
- able to be called back and undone
- a person who cannot call a vote back
- not able to be called back or undone
Tala checks four sentences for a school newspaper. Which sentence uses the right form of the word?
- In spite of the cold, the volunteers persistence until the fence was done.
- Her persistence in rewriting the grant letter finally convinced the board.
- She rewrote the grant letter persistent until the board finally agreed.
- Her persistent in rewriting the grant letter finally convinced the board.
The faucet's continual drip kept the library staff awake, though it stopped for a minute now and then. Jun reads a sentence in a school paper. Which meaning fits the word, and what does the ending change?
- happening again and again, with pauses between
- again and again; the adverb continually
- to keep going or start again
- going on without any break
Sentence
The judge's face was inscrutable, so the lawyers could not guess what she thought. Strip: in (not) | scrut (examine) | able (able to be)
Pia builds a strip for a word in a history-club report. What does the whole word mean here?
- a person who examines faces closely and tries to understand them
- not able to be examined or understood; impossible to read
- serious and stern, as a judge's face would be during a trial
- able to be examined closely and understood; easy to read
Bo checks four sentences for a school newspaper. Which sentence uses the right form of the word?
- The treaty's third article was significant because it moved the border.
- The treaty's third article was significance because it moved the border.
- The treaty's third article moved the border significant.
- The treaty's third article significance that the border would move.
The mayor called the signing of the treaty a historic moment, one that would be taught in classrooms for decades. Milo reads a sentence in a school paper. Which meaning fits the word, and what does the ending change?
- the record of past events, which classes study in school
- in a way tied to history; the adverb historically tells how it was signed
- important enough to be remembered in history; -ic makes history an adjective
- belonging to the past, as in the historical records kept in the town archive
Sentence
The principal made a unilateral decision, and no one else was asked. Strip: uni (one) | later (side) | al (relating to)
Zee builds a strip for a word in a history-club report. What does the whole word mean here?
- done by one side alone, without the others
- made by a school leader after careful thought
- a person who stands on one side
- side, as in the side of a building
Sentence
The marker left an indelible stain on the old map, and no cleaner could lift it. Strip: in (not) | del (erase) | ible (able to be)
Esme builds a strip for a word in a history-club report. What does the whole word mean here?
- to erase or wipe out
- dark and ugly against the old paper
- not able to be erased or removed
- able to be erased easily
Noah checks four sentences for a school newspaper. Which sentence uses the right form of the word?
- The two schools compete for the regional trophy every spring.
- The two schools competition for the regional trophy every spring.
- The two schools played competitive for the regional trophy every spring.
- Every spring brings competitive for the regional trophy.

