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Word structure in English, Examples - Coggle Diagram
Word structure in English
The study of word structure is called MORPHOLOGY
Understanding word structure helps--->
improve spelling
expand vocabulary
In studying word structure, we start by looking at a few key concepts first
root words
prefixes
suffixes
SUFFIX
is an ending,usedat the end of one word to turn into another word.
suffix has several elements
er
teacher
engineer
driver
-ment
( Condition)
argument
achievement
these elements cannot stand alone and if they are alone they do not mean anything
Sometimes, when we add a suffix, we don't create a new word at all. This process is called INFLECTION.
Examples
cat → cats
In the above example, we really have just one word - the first is singular, the second plural.
In a dictionary, we might look for cat, but we wouldn't look for a separate entry for cats.
ROOT WORDS
are words, or parts of words, that can usually stand alone.
Most root words can be changed in various ways by adding additional elements to them
Examples:
elbows
faster
nudged
Each of the examples above has been altered by adding an element at the end. The elements at the end, namely -s, -er, and -ed, cannot stand alone.
PREFIX
The elements added to the beginnings of the words above cannot stand alone,
Examples:
expose → underexpose
appear → disappear
take → overtake
event → non-event
Sometimes, when we add a prefix or suffix to a word, we create a new word. This process is called DERIVATION
Example
appear → appearance
The two words above are definitely two different words - the first is a VERB, the second a NOUN. Their meanings and uses in sentences are different. In a dictionary, we would have to look them up separately, even though they have a common root word.
When words are built from a common root word, or a common ancestor in history (often a Latin word), we call the group of words a WORD FAMILY
Examples
grammar,
grammatical,
grammatically,
ungrammatically
ungrammatical
Examples
elbow
fast
nudge