Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumVerb and Adverb Suffixes

The logistics supervisor decided to standardize the maintenance kits so that every mechanic would have identical equipment. In this sentence, what does the word standardize most nearly mean?

  1. A
    An established benchmark used for formal comparison
  2. To cause to conform to a uniform model or ruleAnswer
  3. C
    To stand upright and maintain physical balance
  4. D
    To diversify into varied and non-uniform formats

Answer

To cause to conform to a uniform model or rule
The verb "standardize" is formed by appending the verb suffix "-ize" (meaning "to cause to be" or "to conform to") to the base word "standard." In context, the supervisor makes the equipment uniform across all mechanics, matching the meaning of causing items to conform to a uniform model.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the base word and morphological affix.
The word consists of the base noun/adjective "standard" and the derivational verb suffix "-ize."
Identifying the constituent morphemes clarifies the syntactic role and primary semantic meaning of the word.
2
Apply the semantic function of the verb suffix "-ize".
The suffix "-ize" denotes "to make," "to convert into," or "to bring into conformity with."
The suffix changes the base noun/adjective into an action verb meaning to make something conform to a standard.
3
Evaluate the context sentence to confirm the definition.
Providing "identical equipment" to every mechanic confirms that the supervisor is making the kits uniform.
Contextual clues support the morphological deduction.

Key Concept

The derivational suffix "-ize" converts nouns and adjectives into verbs meaning to make, render, or cause to conform to a specific state or standard.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Verb and Adverb Suffixes

More questions from this topic