Dr.
Johanna Rubba
English Department
Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo
Updated 10/05/05
Morphology Exercises
MORPHEMES & WORDS*
| a) stupidity | f) paper | k) misidentification |
| b) unreliable | g) sleeping | l) management |
| c) classroom | h) disinfectant | m) painters |
| d) ugly | i) magazine | n) deforms |
| e) unfairly | j) sandwich | o) husbands |
2) Isolate the affixes in each of these words and state whether each is prefix or suffix.
|
1-depose |
5-action |
|
2-readily |
6-repackage |
|
3-active |
7-unchanged |
|
4-behead |
8-forcefully |
3) For the following words, identify all roots (base words).
|
1-dragged |
6-unassuming |
|
2-deactivated |
7-redness |
|
3-impossible |
8-auctioneers |
|
4-thumbtack |
9-cloudiness |
|
5-hopefully |
10-exceptionally |
* These exercises are adapted or taken from The structure of English, by Thomas E. Murray, 1995.
4) ANALYZABILITY
Refer to the following data to solve the problem below it.
List #1: taller, shorter, greener, higher, lower, sweeter, smarter
List #2: mower, teacher, sailor, farmer, caller, operator
List #3: never, cover, finger, either, river, candor, other, valor
Problem I: Use (a) your own knowledge of English and (b) the notion 'consistent
match between meaning and form' to construct an argument in which you
agree or disagree with the following statement, supporting your position with
evidence from the data.
Statement: The item spelled 'er'/'or' is the same item in all of the
words, in all three lists.
Problem II: Do the same, using the following data:
List #1: soften, harden, sweeten, whiten, strengthen, lengthen, widen,
deepen, redden, blacken, weaken
List #2: given, taken, eaten, broken
List #3: oven, open, coven, leaven, ramen, even, often, sudden
Statement: The item spelled 'en' is the same item in all of the words,
in all three lists.
* This exercise was adapted from Anatomy of English by Dorothy Sedley.