Which term refers to a bound morpheme added to a root word to change its tense, case, or number?

Which term refers to a bound morpheme added to a root word to change its tense, case, or number?

• A. Affix
• B. Root
• C. Suffix
• D. Prefix

Answer: (A)

An affix is a bound morpheme attached to a root word to signal grammatical information such as tense, number, or case. It can be a prefix (added to the front) or a suffix (added to the end); both are forms of affixes. The root is the base word, while prefixes and suffixes are specific kinds of affixes. The changes described—tense for verbs and number for nouns—are typical inflectional changes carried by affixes, not by altering the root itself.

An affix is a bound morpheme attached to a root word to signal grammatical information such as tense, number, or case. It can be a prefix (added to the front) or a suffix (added to the end); both are forms of affixes. The root is the base word, while prefixes and suffixes are specific kinds of affixes. The changes described—tense for verbs and number for nouns—are typical inflectional changes carried by affixes, not by altering the root itself.