MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

ClassWork Practice 2
INFLECTION
EXERCISE 1
Identify the inflectional affixes in each sentence. The term affix here includes both suffixes, like dreamed and
infixes like swum, rode, rang.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

The flagpole stood in front of Main Hail

Four pledges were initiated
Shirley pledges to do her best
The pledges shirt was torn
The pledges shirts were torn
We were discussing the editorial
The novel was shorter that I had expected
They waited at the dock
Which is the longest route?
Have you taken calculus yet?
Jim played well in the second set
The dealer weighed the poultry
Would you mind repeating the question?
The sheets were soon ironed
She never locks the door

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____________________________
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____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
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____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

EXERCISE 2
Add an inflectional suffix to each these words, which already end in a derivational suffix.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

reasonable __________________________________________
formal
__________________________________________
organize __________________________________________
purify
__________________________________________
purist
__________________________________________

EXERCISE 3
Add an inflectional suffix to each of these words, which end in derivational suffixes, in the third column put any
words you can think of that are formed by a suffix following the inflectional suffix you can add in the second
column.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

kindness
beautify
quarterly
popularize
depth
pressure
arrival
orientate
friendly
funny

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

EXERCISE 4
Identify the ings of the italicized words by these symbols
V-al =verbal {-ing}
N-al = nominal {-ing}
Aj-al = adjectival {-ing}
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

It was a charming spot

Jim lost both fillings from his tooth
It was located by a sweetly babbling book
It was exciting to watch the flight
Old sayings are often half-true
from the bridge we watched the running water
that barking dog keeps everyone awake
he told a convincing tale
the shining sun gilded the forest floor
Matisses drawings are magnificently simple
A refreshing shower poured down
The attorney made a moving appeal
A moving elephant is a picture of grace
What an obliging fellow he is
That was a touching scene

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EXERCISE 5
Identify the inflectional suffixes in each word below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

princes
princess
findings
friendlier
shows
weaver
leaner
satirize
sputter
brighten

____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

EXERCISE 6
Divide these words into two groups: (1) those which undergo no change of the base allomorph in the plural e,g
those, two, toughs, (2) those which have two forms of the plural e,g hoofs, hooves. The words are: grief,
scarf, chief, truth, wharf, sheath, belief, wreath, wail, staff.
One Allomorph
__________ _____________

two Allomorphs
___________ ___________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

__________ _____________

____________ ___________

__________ _____________

____________ ___________

EXERCISE 7
Look up the plurals of these words in your desk dictionary. If there are two pluralizing allomorphs, write both.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

alumna
__________________
formula
__________________
opus
__________________
appendix
__________________
stratum
__________________
hypothesis __________________
cherub
__________________
apparatus __________________
medium
__________________
stimulus __________________
memorandum __________________
virtuoso __________________
nucleus
__________________
analysis __________________
stadium
__________________

EXERCISE 8
Relationship

Example

Possession or belongingness

Johns cat

Characterization or description

Mens coats

Origin

Raphaels paintings

Measure (time, value, space)

An hours wait

Subject of act

Johns flight (John flew)

Object of act

Eliots critics were many (they

criticized Eliot)

Using the number above indicate the relation shown between the italicized possessive and its following noun.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

We missed the other car by a hairs breadth

__________________
A wrens song floated through the window
__________________
They were playing childrens games
__________________
The police provided for Richards protection __________________
The boys jump saved his life
__________________
The moons beams were brilliant that night
__________________
Willards arrival was a surprise
__________________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

8. He has never done a days work

9. She met Dickies father
10. She was happy about Bobs winning

__________________
__________________
__________________

EXERCISE 9
This is an exercise to investigate usage of the class in regard to the possessive {-s} in contrast to the of
structure. You will be given pairs of sentences like this
a The garages cement floor is cracking
b. The cement floor of garage is cracking

__________________
__________________

If you would use only one of these, write only after the sentence containing that one. If you would use either
without any particular preference write both in both blanks. If you would give preference to one but might also
use the other write pref in the proper blank. (Give your explanations)

1a The buildings roof was blown off by the wind

b. The roof of the building was blown off by the wind
2a The soldiers rifle had been thoroughly cleaned
b. The rifle of the soldier had thoroughly cleaned
3a The lawns color had become brown

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__________________
__________________
__________________

b. The color of the lawn had become brown

__________________

4a We admired the dogs silky coat

__________________

b. We admired the silky coat of the dog

__________________

5a The hats brim was torn

__________________

b. The brim of the hat was torn

__________________

EXERCISE 10
Write the feminine form (or erstwhile feminine form) of these words.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Paul
chanteur
protg
czar
songster
major
heir
equestrian
angel

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MORPHOLOGY | 2013
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

emperor
launderer
proprietor
waiter
tricker

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________

EXERCISE 11
Take a quick look again at noun and verb parading. Then, using membership in a paradigm as a criterion,
classify these words as N (noun) V (verb) or NV (both noun and verb)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

drive
_____________________________
compliment _____________________________
appear
_____________________________
world
_____________________________
agency
_____________________________
agonize
_____________________________
truck
_____________________________
decide
_____________________________
emotion
_____________________________
book
_____________________________
bird
_____________________________
join
_____________________________
end
_____________________________
morning _____________________________
variety
_____________________________
mother
_____________________________
grammar _____________________________
melt
_____________________________
note
_____________________________
carve
_____________________________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

DERIVATION
EXERCISE 1
The left-hand column contains ten words. The right-hand column contains thirteen derivational suffixes used to
make nouns and having the general meanings of state conditional, quality, or act of. By combining these
suffixes with the words listed, make as many nouns as you can.

Words

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

* Noun-forming Derivational suffixes

happy
friend
girl
compose
shrink
active
supreme
true
pagan
discover

1.-hood
2.-acy
3. -ism
4. -ness
5.- ment
6. -age
7. -y
8.-ation
9.-ship
10.- ity

11.-ance
12.-th
13.-ure

Nouns: ______________________

____________________ ____________________

______________________

____________________ ____________________

______________________

____________________ ____________________

______________________

____________________ ____________________

______________________

____________________ ____________________

EXERCISE 2
Add a derivational suffix to each these words, which already end in a derivational suffix.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

reasonable __________________________________________
formal
__________________________________________
organize __________________________________________
purify
__________________________________________
purist
__________________________________________

EXERCISE 3
Add an inflectional suffix to each of these words, which end in derivational suffixes, in the third column put any
words you can think of that are formed by a suffix following the inflectional suffix you can added in the second
column.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

kindness
beautify
quarterly
popularize
depth

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

pressure
arrival
orientate
friendly
funny

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

EXERCISE 4
Add a derivational suffix to the following words. Then after every word in both columns indicate its part-ofspeech classification by N (noun), V (verb), Adj (adjective), or Adv (adverb).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

break _______
desire _______
conspire _______
ideal
________
false
________
mouth ________
sing
________
familiarize ________
passion ________
host
________
novel
________
day
________
prohibit ________
excel ________
create ________
vision ________
real
________
accept ________

.. ________
. ________
. ________
.. ________
.. ________
.. ________
.. ________
.. ________
... ________
.. ________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________

EXERCISE 5
Give the original words from which these clipped words were formed
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

ad
_______________
gas
_______________
photo _______________
memo _______________
Fred _______________

EXERCISE 6
Indentify initialisms (I) or acronyms (A). What do they stand for?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

WAC
MC (Look up emcee)
UNESCO
OK
AWOL
WASP
VIP

_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013
8. CD
9. DNA
EXERCISE 7

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

_______________
_______________

Give the original of these blends

1.
2.
3.
4.

smog _______________
telecast _______________
motel
_______________
splatter _______________

Give the blends that result from fussing these words.

1.
2.
3.
4.

transfer + resistor =
automobile + omnibus =
escalade + elevator =
squall + squeak =

_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

EXERCISE 8
1. The noun greed is a back-formation from the adjective greedy. Write four pairs of words that constitute
an analogy for the creation of greed.
____________________ ____________________
____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

2. In common use in English are the pairs revise-revision and supervise-supervision. From this analogy
what is back-formed from television?___________________
3. English has many pairs on the pattern of create.-creation, separate-separation and deviate-deviation. On
this analogy what back formation would you expect from donation and oration?
_______________and_________________
These verbs are back- formation. Write the from which they are back-formed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

housekeep
_____________________
typewrite
_____________________
administrate _____________________
resurrect
_____________________
baby-sit
_____________________

Look up in your desk dictionary the following example of folk etymology and write the source of each in the
blanks. Usually the reason for the change will be apparent
1.
2.
3.
4.

female _____________________
carryall _____________________
cockroach _____________________
hangnail _____________________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

Look up in your desk dictionary the following instances of antonomasia and write the original write the original
of each in the blanks.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

denim
cashmere
tuxedo
limousine
guy

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_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

EXERCISE C

In these words the base is italicized. After each word write the number of suffixes it contains.
organists

_________________

personalities

_________________

flirtatiously

_________________

atomizers

_________________

friendliest

_________________

contradictorily _________________
trusteeship

_________________

greasier

_________________

countrified

_________________

responsibilities _________________
EXERCISE D

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.
en, live, -en

______________________________

ing, -ate, termin

______________________________

er, -s, -mor, -al, -ize ______________________________

ly,-some, grue

______________________________

ity, work, -able

______________________________

in, -most, -er

______________________________

marry, -age, -ity, -abil ______________________________

MORPHOLOGY | 2013

Francisco Mantilla - UNACH

dom, -ster, gang

______________________________

ly, -ion, -ate, affect ______________________________

EXERCISE E (a)

Add a derivational suffix to each these words, which already end in a derivational suffix.

reasonable __________________________________________
formal

__________________________________________

organize

__________________________________________

purify

__________________________________________

purist

__________________________________________

EXERCISE E (b)

Add an inflectional suffix to each of these words, which end in derivational suffixes.
beautify

_________________________

popularize _________________________
depth

_________________________

pressure

_________________________

orientate

_________________________

friendly

_________________________