Study questions and tasks

1. Consider the following words and answer the questions below.

a) fly f) reuse k) spiteful p) preplan

b) desks g) triumphed l) suite q) optionality

c) untie h) delight m) fastest r) prettier

d) tree i) justly n) deform s) mistreat

e) dislike j) payment o) disobey t) premature

i) For each word, determine whether it is simple or complex.

ii) Circle all of the bound morphemes. Underline all of the roots.

2. Consider the following words.

a) desks e) triumphed i) preplan (V) m) optionality

b) untie f) ageless j) fastest n) prettier

c) invalid (A) g) justice k) reuse o) mistreat

d) dislike (V) h) payment l) disobey p) preview (V)

i) Draw a tree structure of each word.

ii) For the word optionality, what is the base for the affix -ion? What is the base for the suffix -ity? Are either of these bases also the root for the entire word? If so, which one?

3. Each of the following columns illustrates a different morphological process.

Column1Column 2

a) mouse/ mice f) récord/ recórd

b) dive/ dove g) ímport/ impórt

c) take/ took h) cónvict/ convíct

d) goose/ geese i) ímprint/ imprínt

e) eat/ ate j) óutrage/ outrage

i) What morphological process is at work in column 1? Column 2?

ii) Describe in your own words the difference between the process exemplified in column 1 versus that in column 2.

iii) Think of at least one more English example to add to each column.

4. The following words can be either nouns or verbs.

a) record f) outline k) report

b) journey g) convict l) outrage

c) exchange h) imprint m) answer

d) remark i) reprint n) import

e) surprise j) retreat o) cripple

i) For each word, determine whether stress placement can be used to make the distinction between noun and verb.

5. Here are five instances where a new word is needed. Create a word for each of these definitions using the word formation process suggested. Fill in the blanks with new words.

a) Use an acronym.... for your uncle's second oldest brother.

"We visited my ___________ at Christmas."

b) Use onomatopoeia.... for the sound of coffee percolator at work.

"I can't concentrate because my perc is ____________ing."

c) Use conversation.... for wrapping something breakable in bubbles.

"You'd better ___________ that ornament or else it might break."

6. The words in column 2 have been created from the corresponding word in column 1. Indicate the word formation process responsible for the creation of each word in column 2.

Column 1Column 2

a) automation → automate

b) humid → humidifier

c) stagnation, inflation → stagflation

d) love, seat → loveseat

e) énvelope → envelop

f) typographical → typo

g) aerobics, marathon → aerobathon

h) act → deactivate

i) curve, ball → curve ball

j) perambulator → pram

k) (a) comb → comb (your hair)

l) beef, buffalo → beffalo

m) random access memory → RAM

n) megabyte → meg

o) teleprinter, exchange → telex

p) influenza → flu

7. Create new words for each of the following situations.

a) Use a product name.... for the act of scrubbing with Ajax.

"I ___________ed the tub after giving Fido a bath.

b) Use the proper name.... for the act of breaking dishes which Jonathan does regularly.

"He's going to ____________ all of my best dishes."

c) Use clipping.... for a course in ovinology (the study of sheep).

"Have you done your ______________ assignment yet?"

d) Use derivation.... for being able to be contacted.

"The counselor is not very ____________."

e) Use a blend.... for a hot drink made with milk and nutmeg.

"I'll have a ____________ and two peanut butter cookies, please."

8. Determine whether the words in each of the following groups are related to one another by process of inflection or derivation.

a) go, goes, going, gone

b) discover, discovery, discoverer, discoverable, discoverability

c) lovely, lovelier, loveliest

d) inventor, inventor's, inventors, inventors'

e) democracy, democrat, democratic, democratize

9. The following sentences contain both derivational and inflectional affixes. Underline all of the derivational affixes and circle the inflectional affixes.

a) The farmer's cows escaped. e) The strongest rower won.

b) It was raining. f) The pitbull has bitten the

cyclist.

c) Those socks are inexpensive. g) She quickly closed the

book.

d) Jim needs the newer version. h) The alphabetization

went well.

10. Think of your own examples to illustrate the most productive word formation ways.

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