Back to: ENGLISH LANGUAGE SS3
Introduction to Morphology
Morphology is a branch of linguistics that deals with the structure and formation of words. For SS3 learners preparing for external examinations, understanding how words are formed, broken down, and combined is crucial for vocabulary development, grammatical accuracy, and effective communication. Alongside morphology, compound words play a key role in building new words by combining existing ones. Mastery of these concepts will improve both writing and speaking skills.
Morphology
Morphology is the study of morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning in a word. Morphemes are categorised into two:
- Free Morphemes: These can stand alone as complete words.
- Examples: boy, run, clean, water
- Bound Morphemes: These cannot stand alone and must be attached to another morpheme.
- Examples: -ed, -s, un-, re-
Types of Morphology:
- Inflectional Morphology: This involves changing the form of a word to express grammatical features such as tense, number, or comparison, without changing the core meaning or word class.
- Examples: talk → talked, child → children, big → biggest
- Derivational Morphology: This involves adding prefixes or suffixes to base words to create new words and often change the word class.
- Examples: teach → teacher (verb to noun), kind → kindness (adjective to noun), happy → unhappiness (adjective to noun)
Compound Words
Compound words are formed when two or more individual words are combined to create a new word with a distinct meaning. They are classified into three types:
- Closed Compounds: These are written as single words.
- Examples: bedroom, toothpaste, sunflower
- Hyphenated Compounds: These are written with hyphens connecting the words.
- Examples: mother-in-law, well-known, part-time
- Open Compounds: These are written as separate words but function as a single unit.
- Examples: high school, ice cream, full moon
Examples Of Compound Words in Context
- I forgot my toothbrush at home. (Closed compound)
- My aunt is my mother-in-law. (Hyphenated compound)
- We went to the post office yesterday. (Open compound)
In conclusion, understanding morphology helps us identify how words are structured and how their meanings are shaped. It deepens our knowledge of vocabulary and how words can change form. Compound words, on the other hand, show us how new meanings can be formed through the combination of existing words. As SS3 students, applying these concepts will strengthen your grasp of English grammar and writing competence, which are crucial for success in WASSCE and other examinations.