Morphemes

1. What is a morpheme?

• A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a word.

2. Types of morphemes (by form)

Free morphemes

• Can stand alone as a word.

• Example: cat, run, blue

Bound morphemes

• Cannot stand alone.

• Must be attached to another word.

• Example: -s, un-, -ed

3. Types of morphemes (by function)

Lexical morphemes

• Add real meaning to the sentence.

• They are nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

• Example: book, dance, happy

Grammatical morphemes

• Help with sentence structure.

• They are articles, conjunctions, prepositions, auxiliaries, or endings.

• Example: the, and, in, -s, -ed

4. Morpheme Combo Example: “quickly”

• quick = free lexical morpheme (real meaning)

• -ly = bound grammatical morpheme (adds function)

5. Easy trick to remember

• Lexical = meat of the sentence

• Grammatical = glue or tools to connect words

6. Sentence Example: “The cats ran quickly.”