FTCE Reading K-12 Practice Exam

What is a morpheme in language?

1. The smallest unit that carries meaning

2. A system of written language

3. A type of narrative structure

4. A word with multiple syllables

The correct answer is: The smallest unit that carries meaning

A morpheme is defined as the smallest unit of meaning in a language. This can include stand-alone words, prefixes, suffixes, and root words. For example, the word "unhappiness" can be broken down into the morphemes "un-" (a prefix meaning "not"), "happy" (the root word), and "-ness" (a suffix indicating a state or condition). Each of these morphemes contributes to the overall meaning of the word. In contrast, the other options do not accurately capture the concept of a morpheme. A system of written language refers to the broader context of writing systems and does not pertain to individual meaningful units. A type of narrative structure focuses on how stories are organized, which is unrelated to the concept of meaning in language. A word with multiple syllables simply describes the phonetic structure of a word and does not inherently indicate whether it contains one or more morphemes or what its meaning might be. Thus, understanding that a morpheme is fundamentally about meaning helps clarify its importance in language analysis.