Which statement correctly describes a bound morpheme's behavior when attached to a root?

Which statement correctly describes a bound morpheme's behavior when attached to a root?

• A. It changes meaning but cannot stand alone
• B. It can stand alone as a word
• C. It never changes the meaning
• D. It is always a standalone prefix

Answer: (A)

Bound morphemes attach to a root and cannot stand alone; they change the word’s meaning or grammatical function. That is exactly what the statement captures: when you add a bound morpheme, you’re modifying the word’s meaning (like tense, number, negation, or part of speech) without creating a new independent word. For example, adding -ed shows past tense, adding -s marks plural, and adding un- creates negation. Because of this ability to alter meaning or grammar while requiring attachment to a base, the described behavior is the best fit. The other ideas don’t fit because a bound morpheme cannot stand alone, so claiming it can be a standalone word is incorrect. Some bound morphemes do change meaning, so saying they never change meaning isn’t accurate. And bound morphemes aren’t always prefixes; many are suffixes or other attachments, so labeling them as always a standalone prefix isn’t correct.

Bound morphemes attach to a root and cannot stand alone; they change the word’s meaning or grammatical function. That is exactly what the statement captures: when you add a bound morpheme, you’re modifying the word’s meaning (like tense, number, negation, or part of speech) without creating a new independent word. For example, adding -ed shows past tense, adding -s marks plural, and adding un- creates negation. Because of this ability to alter meaning or grammar while requiring attachment to a base, the described behavior is the best fit.

The other ideas don’t fit because a bound morpheme cannot stand alone, so claiming it can be a standalone word is incorrect. Some bound morphemes do change meaning, so saying they never change meaning isn’t accurate. And bound morphemes aren’t always prefixes; many are suffixes or other attachments, so labeling them as always a standalone prefix isn’t correct.