Take-Home Test 1: Answers

A. Identify the base and affix morphemes by indicating the morpheme inside curly brackets in the
appropriate column. Check the appropriate box to indicate whether each morpheme is free or bound.
Where a word does not contain an appropriate morpheme for the column, write ‘n/a’.

Base Affix

Example: dog {dog} ■ free □ bound n/a □ free □ bound

1. fatter {fat} ■ free □ bound {-er compar} □ free ■ bound

2. postulate {postul}* □ free ■ bound {-ate} □ free ■ bound

3. corner’s {corner} ■ free □ bound {-‘s sg. poss} □ free ■ bound

4. seems {seem} ■ free □ bound {-s 3rd sg pres} □ free ■ bound

5. waiter {wait} ■ free □ bound {-er agent} □ free ■ bound

* {postul} comes from Latin, apparently deriving from poscere “to enquire”. It could be analysed as two
separate morphemes, but they would both still be bound.

B. Copy the affixes from exercise A and state in Column B whether they are inflectional or derivational. If
the word has a suffix state the part of speech with which the suffix is associated in Column C.

Affix Column B Column C

1. fatter {-er compar} ■ inflectional □ derivational adjective

2. postulate {-ate} □ inflectional ■ derivational verb

compare operate, prevaricate

3. corner’s {-‘s sg. poss} ■ inflectional □ derivational noun

4. seems {-s 3rd sg pres} ■ inflectional □ derivational verb

5. waiter {-er agent} □ inflectional ■ derivational noun

C. Indicate in curly brackets the type of inflection in the bolded noun.

Example: The dogs stole the bone. {-s pl}

1. The dogs stole the bone. {-s plural}

2. The men’s faces were grim. {-s’ plural possessive}

3. Charles’s first choice was a bad one. {-‘s singular possessive}

4. The lion’s savagery is legendary. {-‘s singular possessive}

D. Transfer the lexical (main) verbs from each sentence into Column A. In Column B indicate in curly
brackets the type of inflection.

Column A Column B

Example: He worked in the mines. worked {-ed past tense}

1. I had not considered it possible. considered {-ed past participle}

2. That is the greatest thing since sliced bread. is {3rd sg. present tense}

3. They were sleeping under the trees. sleeping {-ing present participle}

4. The dogs stole the bone. stole {Ablaut past tense}

5. I have tried several times to fix it. tried {-ed past participle}

E. Identify the bolded verbs as transitive, intransitive, or linking verbs by checking the appropriate box.

1. I had not considered it possible. ■ transitive □ intransitive □ linking

it is the direct object

2. That is the greatest thing since sliced bread. □ transitive □ intransitive ■ linking
the greatest thing since sliced
bread is the subjective complement

3. They were sleeping under the trees. □ transitive ■ intransitive □ linking

under the trees is an adverbial
phrase
 4. The dogs stole the bone. ■ transitive □ intransitive □ linking
the bone is the direct object

5. I have tried several times to fix it. ■ transitive □ intransitive □ linking

to fix it is the direct object

F. Fill in the blank with the form of the personal or relative pronoun that fits the description. If the form
changes when the pronoun functions as a determiner, put both forms.

Example: 1st person singular subjective case I

1. 3rd person plural possessive case their/theirs

2. relative pronoun for people, objective case whom/that

3. 3rd person singular feminine objective case her

pronoun, demonstrative pronoun/determiner

G. State whether the word in bold is a preposition, a participle, or an adverb in the sentence given by
checking the appropriate box.

1. The clothes looked great on the model. ■ preposition □ particle □ adverb

2. He closed his eyes and jumped in. □ preposition □ particle ■ adverb
3. There’s no harm in trying. ■ preposition □ particle □ adverb