Morphology studies how modifications on words affect meaning?

• A. How sounds are produced
• B. How modifications on words affect meaning
• C. The structure of sentences
• D. The social use of language

Answer: (B)

Morphology looks at the internal makeup of words—the morphemes that build them—and how adding prefixes, suffixes, or combining elements changes a word’s meaning and its grammatical role. This field specifically analyzes how modifications to words create new forms and meanings, such as turning a verb into a noun with a suffix, or negating a root with a prefix. For example, adding -ed marks past tense, while derivational affixes can shift a word’s meaning or category, like happy becoming unhappy or beauty becoming beautiful. The other areas focus on sounds, sentence structure, or how language is used socially, which are outside the scope of morphology. So describing morphology as studying how modifications on words affect meaning aligns with its core focus on word formation and meaning.