Morphology and Word Formation Practice Quiz (16 questions)

1. In Martinet’s terminology, what is a moneme?

A. A minimal unit with a meaningful function

B. A sound pattern with no meaningful function

C. A combination of closely related meaningful units

D. A unit that can be uttered independently

Answer: (A)

Explanation

A moneme is the smallest unit that performs a meaningful function. A multi-unit combination is a syntagm, utterance independence is not the definition, and a meaningless sound pattern lacks the defining function.

2. In an analysis using Martinet’s categories, a phrase consists of two monemes whose mutual relations are especially close. Which unit does the phrase exemplify?

A. A synthème

B. A moneme

C. A loose sequence

D. A syntagm

Answer: (D)

Explanation

A syntagm combines two or more monemes with especially close mutual relations. A moneme is minimal, a loose sequence lacks the close relation, and a synthème refers to a unit formed by derivation or composition.

3. A form can be spoken by itself, but each of its meaningful parts cannot be spoken alone as an independent meaningful form. How would Bloomfield classify the whole form?

A. A word

B. A bound form

C. A sequence of free morphemes

D. A syntagm

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Bloomfield defines a word as a form that can be uttered alone but cannot be divided into elements that can all be uttered alone with meaning. A syntagm is free but non-minimal, while free morphemes are independently utterable components and a bound form cannot stand alone.

4. A linguist identifies a unit as free to occur independently but composed of smaller meaningful forms. Under Bloomfield’s distinctions, which category fits?

A. A syntagm

B. A word

C. A bound sequence

D. A morpheme

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Bloomfield’s syntagm is a free, non-minimal form, matching a unit that can occur independently but contains smaller meaningful forms. A word is free and minimal, a morpheme is minimal but may be dependent, and a bound sequence is not free.

5. A familiar expression has fixed constituent elements that cannot be replaced or recombined under current language rules. What does Coseriu call this kind of material?

A. A productive syntagm

B. A moneme

C. Repeated discourse

D. A word-formation rule

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Coseriu’s repeated discourse includes traditional fixed expressions, phrases, and locutions whose elements cannot be replaced or recombined according to current language rules. A moneme is a minimal meaningful unit, a productive syntagm is freely combined, and a word-formation rule generates forms rather than naming fixed discourse.

6. A fixed expression is being classified within Coseriu’s repeated discourse. The expression can be substituted for a single word in its sentence; how should it be classified by equivalence?

A. As equivalent to a morpheme

B. As equivalent to a word

C. As equivalent to a phrase

D. As equivalent to a syntagm

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Coseriu classifies repeated discourse according to the linguistic unit that can substitute for the expression, so substitution by a single word makes it word-equivalent. Phrase and syntagm equivalence confuse the substitution level, while a morpheme is not one of the stated classification categories.

7. A language gains new content words as new concepts emerge. Which property of lexemes accounts for this ongoing expansion?

A. They form a numerous, closed class that is continually renewed.

B. They form a small, open class with minimal semantic content.

C. They form a numerous, open class that is continually renewed.

D. They form a small, closed class with minimal semantic content.

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Lexemes are lexical morphemes in a numerous, open class that is continually renewed. The closed-class choices confuse lexemes with grammemes, while the small-class choices misstate the size of the lexicon class.

8. In a sentence, a grammatical morpheme contributes to sentence organization but carries little meaning and comes from a restricted system. How should it be classified?

A. As a grammeme in a closed system

B. As a lexeme in an open class

C. As a grammeme in an open class

D. As a lexeme in a closed system

Answer: (A)

Explanation

A grammeme contributes to grammatical organization, has minimal semantic content, and belongs to a closed system. Calling it a lexeme confuses grammatical and lexical morphemes; assigning it to an open class reverses the class distinction.

9. In the derived word *unhappiness*, which description best identifies the radical *happy*?

A. The virtual form realized through different radicals

B. The word to which an affix is added to form a derivative

C. The morpheme attached to a base or another radical

D. The non-affix morpheme linked to the signified

Answer: (D)

Explanation

A radical is a morpheme in a word that is not an affix and to which the signified is linked. The base choice defines a word serving as the input to derivation; the affix choice reverses the relation, and the virtual-form choice defines a root.

10. The forms *venait* and *vienne* contain the different radicals *ven-* and *vienn-*. What is the shared root represented by these forms?

A. An affix attached to the base of each word

B. A base word that remains unchanged in both forms

C. A morpheme present as one particular word form

D. A virtual form realized through different radicals

Answer: (D)

Explanation

A root is a virtual form that can be realized through different radicals, as with *ven-* and *vienn-*. Identifying it as one particular radical confuses the abstract root with its word-form realization; the other choices misclassify it as an affix or base.

11. A student compares a suffix that creates a new word with an ending that marks plural number. Which distinction correctly classifies these affixes?

A. The word-creating suffix is inflectional; the plural ending is derivational.

B. Both affixes are inflectional because each attaches to a word.

C. The word-creating suffix is derivational; the plural ending is inflectional.

D. Both affixes are derivational because each changes the word’s form.

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Derivational affixes create words, whereas inflectional affixes add grammatical information such as number without creating a new word. The reversed classification mistakes plural marking for derivation, while the other choices treat form change or attachment alone as decisive.

12. In *rebuild*, *re-* is attached to the base *build*. What is *re-* in this relationship?

A. A morpheme attached to a base or a radical

B. A non-affix morpheme linked to the signified

C. A virtual form realized through different radicals

D. A word to which another morpheme is added

Answer: (A)

Explanation

An affix is a morpheme attached to a base or a radical, so *re-* is an affix in *rebuild*. The base choice describes *build*, while the virtual-form and non-affix choices describe a root and a radical, respectively.

13. A learner finds two different forms of one verb in different grammatical contexts, and both forms express the same meaning. How should the forms be analyzed?

A. As free variants unrelated to context

B. As separate morphemes with unrelated meanings

C. As homonyms with different meanings

D. As allomorphs of one morpheme

Answer: (D)

Explanation

Allomorphs are different contextual realizations of the same morpheme. Calling them homonyms confuses different forms with the same form, while the other choices wrongly posit unrelated meanings or deny contextual conditioning.

14. A form isolated through commutation has two meanings that share no semantic connection; how should those meanings be analyzed?

A. As distinct morphemes that are homonyms

B. As free variants of one morpheme

C. As related senses of one morpheme

D. As allomorphs of a single morpheme

Answer: (A)

Explanation

When one isolated form has several very different, unconnected meanings, they are treated as distinct morphemes with the same form, or homonyms. Allomorphs are different forms of one morpheme; the other choices assume semantic unity or contextual variation.

15. A word is formed by attaching a prefix to a lexical base. Which word-formation process does this illustrate?

A. Composition

B. Derivation

C. Compounding without affixes

D. Inflection

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Derivation creates a new word by adding one or more affixes to a lexical base. Composition combines existing words or learned bases; inflection supplies grammatical information, and a meaning change alone does not make a process composition.

16. A new term is created by joining two existing words, with no prefix or suffix added. Which process is being used?

A. Derivation

B. Composition

C. Suffixation

D. Inflection

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Composition forms a new word by combining existing words and/or learned bases, rather than by adding affixes. Derivation involves affixes, while inflection and suffixation involve grammatical marking or an added suffix.