Chapter 1 Morphological Structure of English Words
This chapter covers 2 parts, and is planned to becompleted in 2 hours.
Teaching Aims:
1. To help students know the definition and featuresof morpheme.
2. To help students know the difference between morphemeand allomorph.
3. To let students know the classification ofmorpheme.
4. To help students do some exercises.
Teaching Procedures:
Step one: introduction
We must have a generalidea about the morphological structures of English words and how they are usedto make words.
Step two: key points
(1) Morphemes
Definition: morpheme is the minimal meaningful unit, not divisible oranalyzable into smaller forms.
Example: denaturalizationde-,nature, -al, -iz, -ation
(2) Allomorphs
Definition: one of the variants that realize amorpheme.
Example: the prefix﹛in﹜has allomorphs such as/im, ir, il/depending on the first
sound of the base to which the prefix is added; the past tense marker﹛-ed﹜has allomorphs
such as /t, d, id/; the plurality﹛-s﹜has allomorphssuch as /s, z, iz/
We have two types of classification:free morphemesandbound morphemes;rootsandaffixes.
(3) Free Morphemes
Definition:a free morpheme is onethat can be uttered alone with meaning. It can exist on its own without a boundmorpheme. Free morphemes have complete meanings in themselves and can be usedas free grammatical units in sentences. They are identical with root words. We mightas well say free morphemes are free roots.
Example:man,earth, car, anger
(4) Bound Morphemes
Definition: a bound morpheme cannot stand by itself asa complete utterance; it must appear with at least one other morpheme, free orbound. Morphemes which can not occur as separate words are bound.
Example:recollectioncontains three morphemes (re+collect+ion)；idealisticcontains three morphemes(ideal+ist+ic); only collect, ideal can exist by themselves, so they are freemorphemes. All the restre-,-ion,-ist,-icare bound asnone of them are freestanding units.
(5) Roots
Definition: a root is the basic unchangeable part of aword, and it conveys the main lexical meaning of the word. Roots are eitherfree or bound. Free roots are free morphemes. English possesses a multitude ofwords made up of merely bound morphemes.–ceive,-tainare considered bound morphemes,as we havecontain,detain,conceive,deceive.
(6) Affixes
Definition: affixes are forms that are attached towords or word elements to modify meaning or function. Almost all affixes arebound morphemes because few can be used as independent words. They may bedivided into inflectional and derivational types.
(6.1) Inflectional affixes
Definition: affixes attached to the end of words toindicate grammatical relationships are inflectional. It does not form a newword with new lexical meaning when it is added to another word, nor does itchange the word-class of the word to which it is affixed. There are a fewinflectional affixes.
Example: plural marker –s(-es) in chairs, pens, boxes, potatoes
thegenitive case ’s
theverbal endings, s for the third person singular present tense
presentparticiples or gerunds –ing
pasttense or past participle –ed
comparative and superlative degree –er, -est
(6.2) Derivational affixes
Definition: as the term indicates, derivationalaffixes are affixes added to other morphemes to create new words. Prefixes andsuffixes are derivational affixes.
Difference between inflectional affixes and derivationalaffixes
A. inflectional affixes: only have their particular
grammatical meanings, as with the plural morpheme-s and the past tense morpheme-ed.
Toys, Jone’s, opened. Derivational affixes: change lexical meaning，and form the new meaning.
generate, v.产生; generation, n.一代人
B. inflectional affixes: do not change the word-classof the word to which it is affixed. Such as, flower, flowers. Derivationalaffixes: in some cases, change the word-class, such as small, smallness; blood,bloody.
Step three: exercises/assignment:
1. Explain the following terms and provide examples:
a. morphemeb. allomorphc. free and boundmorphemes
2. What are the differences between inflectional andderivational affixes?
3. In what two ways are derivational affixesclassified?
Summary (made after class): Students are required topreview the unit before the class, so in the class they are very active indiscussing the problems, getting the answers to the questions. But some studentscan not finish the exercises by themselves.
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