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Inflectional & Derivational Affixes

Brad Johnson

Created on February 16, 2023

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Transcript

Inflectional & Derivational Affixes

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COMPARATIVE chart

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Derivational

Inflectional

Inflectional morphemes are added to content words to show plurals (nouns), possession (nouns), tense (verbs), and degree (adjectives and adverbs)

Derivational morphemes are added to words usually to create new lexemes. They may derive new nouns <-ness>, verbs <-ate>, adjectives <-ous> or adverbs <-ly>.

Inflectional morphemes do not change the class of the word.

Derivational morphemes tend to change the class of the word, but not always! (Ex. lock/unlock; red/reddish)

A word can only have one inflectional morpheme. In English, all inflectional morphemes are suffixes

A word can have multiple derivational morphemes. In English, all prefixes are derivational.

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Items of Note*

Both inflectional and derivational suffixes may force a suffixing change, such as replacing an <e>. Inflectional suffixes do not change the stress pattern of the word. Derivational suffixes MAY. There is some research that suggests derivational affixes are more difficult for students to spell than inflectional (Critten et. al. 2014).

*in English

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Derivational & Inflectional Affixes Knowledge Check

Question 1/5

In English, all prefixes are...

Derivational.

Both Inflectional and Derivational

Inflectional.

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Derivational & Inflectional Affixes Knowledge Check

Question 2/5

An inflectional affix does not...

get attached to verbs.

change the class of the word.

happen at the ends of words.

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Derivational & Inflectional Affixes Knowledge Check

Question 3/5

The suffix <ty> changes the adjective safe to the noun safety. The suffix <ty> is...

a verbal suffix.

a derivational suffix.

an inflectional suffix.

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Derivational & Inflectional Affixes Knowledge Check

Question 4/5

The suffix <age> changes the noun dose to the noun dosage. This suffix...

cannot be a derivational affix, because derivational affixes change the word's class

is a derivational suffix, because it creates a new lexeme.

is an inflectional suffix.

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Derivational & Inflectional Affixes Knowledge Check

Question 5/5

Which suffix type may cause a suffixing change, such as doubling the final consonant or toggling <i> and <y>?

Derivational

Inflectional

Both

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