FTCE Reading K-12 Practice Exam

What does morphology involve?

1. Combination of morphemes to create language

2. Analysis of sentence structure

3. Development of literary themes

4. Translation of words across languages

The correct answer is: Combination of morphemes to create language

Morphology is a linguistic subfield that focuses on the structure of words and the formation of morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning in a language. The correct choice, which states that morphology involves the combination of morphemes to create language, accurately reflects this definition. Morphemes include roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and understanding how they combine allows speakers and learners to decode and construct words effectively. For instance, in the word "unhappiness," there are three morphemes: "un-" (a prefix meaning not), "happy" (a root word), and "-ness" (a suffix indicating a state or quality). Morphology is crucial for understanding how words are formed, how their meanings can change with different affixes, and how new words can be created through morphological processes. The other options pertain to different linguistic concepts. Analyzing sentence structure relates to syntax, which is not within the realm of morphology. The development of literary themes concerns literary analysis, which involves understanding narratives and thematic elements, rather than the structural formation of words. Lastly, translation between languages falls under the domain of semantics and translation studies, not morphology. Thus, the focus on morphemes and their combinations is