Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Foundations of Reading Practice Exam

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How can morphemes change the meaning of words?

  1. By altering the phonetic structure of words

  2. As the smallest unit of sound in a language

  3. Through combining with prefix and suffix elements

  4. By solely relying on context clues

The correct answer is: Through combining with prefix and suffix elements

Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language, and they can significantly change the meaning of words through the use of prefixes and suffixes. When morphemes are added to a base word, they modify its meaning or create a new word altogether. For example, adding the prefix "un-" to the word "happy" transforms it into "unhappy," which conveys an opposite meaning. Similarly, adding a suffix like "-ness" to the adjective "happy" creates the noun "happiness," altering the word's grammatical category from an adjective to a noun while also representing a related concept. This process emphasizes the importance of morphemes in language development and comprehension, highlighting how they facilitate the formation of a rich and varied vocabulary.