EXERCISES

MORPHOLOGY
THEORY
1. Can an English word have more than one prefix? Give examples.
2. Can an English word have more than one suffix? Give examples.
3. Can an English word have more than one prefix and one suffix? Give examples.
4. True or False
a. Every English word contains at least one root.
b. In English, derivational morphemes occur before inflectional morphemes.
c. In English, derivational suffixes regularly occur before inflectional suffixes.
d. In English, a few inflectional morphemes can occur as prefixes.
e. Every root in English is a free morpheme (i.e., there is no such thing as a bound root.).
f. In English, some morphemes have both a free and a bound allomorph.
5. For each set of words below, say whether the words are endocentric, exocentric, or coordinative
compounds. Justify your identification.
a. redneck, yellowjacket, cocktail, blackhead
b. armchair, breathtest, rockopera
c. secretary-treasurer, scholar-administrator
PRACTICE
1. Tree-diagram each of the following words:
retry, sinkable, thoughtless, meaningfulness, microorganisms, landholder, smoke-jumper,
demagnetizability, retroactive, befriended, televise, margin, endearment, psychology,
unpalatable, holiday, grandmother, morphemic, mistreatment, deactivation, airsickness,
predestined
2. Identify the prefixes, suffixes and bases in these words:
Additional question: The prefix in has two meanings. What are they?
uncover, hopeless, heroism, freedom, changeable, preheat, postscript, cohabit, eventful,
induce, agreement, poetic, disagree, replace, sleeper, inapt
3. Divide the following English words into morphemes and show which are stems, which are
derivational affixes and which are inflectional affixes (The Structure of Language – An
Introduction to Grammatical Analysis (Pavey, 2011, p.39-40)):
a. scissors (as in ‘Don’t run with scissors, they’ll slow you down.’)
b. gameplans (as in ‘I have several gameplans for a situation like this.’)
c. polysyllabic (as in ‘The word ambiguous is polysyllabic.’)
d. undercooks (as in ‘Uncle Jim always undercooks the carrots.’)
e. unlockable (as in ‘This door is totally unlockable.’)
f. globalization (as in ‘Globalization leads to a loss of identity.’)
g. procrastinating (as in ‘Have you started to work or are you still procrastinating?’)
h. forgiveness (as in ‘You should ask for forgiveness from her.’)

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4. For each of the words, identify:
 its word class
 all the morphemes
 the stem
 the root – is it free or bound?
 which morphemes are inflectional
 which morphemes are derivational – do these morphemes change the word class?
speakers, consumption, decorating, transmitted, childishness, disloyalty, uncivilized,
breakfast, previewing, ex-husbands, spoonfuls, neo-classical, falsities, receives,
independence, misunderstandings
5. Give 2 examples for each of the following requirements
a. deverbal verbs by adding de-
b. denominal adjectives by adding –some
c. denominal verbs by adding –ify
d. deverbal adjectives by adding -able
e. compound nouns by adding an adjective and a noun
f. compound verbs by adding a noun and a verb
g. compound adjectives by adding an adjective and an adjective
h. exocentric compound
i. back formation
j. reduplication
6. Each group contains a base and suffixes. Make each into a word. In each case see if more
than one order of suffixes is possible.
1. –ed, live, -en 6. –ity, work, -able
2. –ing, -ate, termin 7. in, -most, -er
3. –er, -s. mor, -al, -ize 8. marry, -age, -ity, -abil
4. province, -s, -ism, -ial 9. –dom, -ster, gang
5. –ly, -some, grue 10. –ly, -ion, -ate, affect
7. Write the morphemic symbol and name for each inflectional affix in bold.
1. The flagpole stood in front of Main Hall.
2. Four pledges were initiated.
3. Shirley pledges to do her best.
4. The pledge’s shirt was torn.
5. The pledges’ shirt was torn.
6. We were discussing the editorial.
7. The novel was shorter than I had expected.
8. They waited at the dock.
9. Which is the longest route?
10. Have you taken calculus yet?
11. Chris played well in the second set.

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12. The dealer weighed the poultry.
13. Would you mind repeating the question?
14. The sheets were soon ironed.
15. He never locks the door.
8. Add a derivational suffix to each of these words, which already end in a derivational suffix.
1. reasonable 6. falsify
2 formal 7. mouthful
3. organize 8. familiar
4. purify 9. creative
5. purist 10. excellent
9. Identify the –ing in the italicized words by these categories.
V-al = verbal
N-al = nominal
A-al = adjectival
1. It was a charming spot. 9. The shining sun gilded the forest floor.
2. Jim lost both fillings from his tooth. 10. Matisse’s drawings are magnificently
3. It was located by a sweetly babbling brook. simple.
4. It was exciting to watch the flight. 11. A refreshing shower poured down.
5. Old sayings are often half-true. 12. The attorney made a moving appeal.
6. From the bridge we watched the running 13. A moving elephant is a picture of grace.
water. 14. What an obliging fellow he is.
7. That barking dog keeps everyone awake. 15. That was a touching scene.
8. He told a convincing tale.
10. Identify the –ed in the italicized words by these categories.
V-al = verbal
A-al = adjectival
1. You should read the printed statement. 6. The invited guests all came.
2. Merle was a neglected child. 7. We had a reserved seat.
3. This is a complicate question. 8. The skipper was a reserved (=quiet) man.
4. His chosen bride had lived in India. 9. A celebrated painter visited the campus.
5. He bought a stolen picture. 10. A worried look crossed his face.
11. Identify the –ly in the italicized words by these categories.
adverbial derivational suffix
adjectival derivational suffix
1. The witness testified falsely. 6. The dear old lady has a heavenly
2. Grace has a deadly wit. disposition.
3. Janet always behaved with a maidenly 7. She spoke quietly to her grandson.
demeanor. 8. What a timely suggestion!
4. He tiptoes softly into the room. 10. It was a cowardly act.
5. Jimmy receives a weekly allowance.

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12. Label the italicized suffixes as DS (derivational suffix), IS (inflectional suffix), or Amb
(Ambiguous)
1. princes 11. quickly
2. princess 12. rectify
3. findings 13. brotherly
4. friendlier 14. respectable
5. shows 15. younger
6. weaver 16. hearing
7. leaner 17. drier
8. satirize 18. grievance
9. sputter 19. droppings
10. brighten 20. sunny
13. Draw the tree diagram for the following words.
1. helpless 14. misconstruction
2. embodiment 15. contradictory
3. insufferably 16. disenthrone
4. reimbursements 17. midafternoon
5. refertilize 18. Icelandic
6. started 19. supernatural
7. lifelessness 20. uncomfortable
8. anticlerical 21. festival
9. favoritism 22. engaging
10. unlawful 23. expressionism
11. itemized 24. misjudgment
12. paraprofessional 25. courageous
13. newspaperdom
14. Find 2 examples of
1. deverbal nouns by adding -ion
2. deverbal verbs by adding re-
3. denominal adjectives by adding -ed
4. deadjectival verbs by adding -ize
5. denominal verbs by adding de-
6. secondary compound nouns
7. compound verbs by adding a verb and a verb
8. compound adjectives by adding an adverb and a verb past participle