1. Analysing Morphemes
Lesson 7A

2. Analysing morphemes You can do this in 2 ways
By dividing it up with hyphens:
e.g. truth-ful-ness
By using a tree diagram
truth - ful - ness N A N

3. Dividing with hyphens Divide into base form + morphemes
truth = one morpheme
truthful = base form + bound morpheme
truth-ful
truthfulness = base form + bound + bound
truth-ful-ness

4. Can you divide these words?
Colourful
Happiness
Unbelievable
Teacher
Monster
Rattlesnake

5. Can you divide these words?
Colourful colour-ful
Happiness happi-ness
Unbelievable un-believ-able
Teacher teach-er
Monster monster
Rattlesnake rattle-snake

6. Constructing tree diagrams (1)
Divide the word into its constuent morphemes e.g. greed-i-ness
Decide the root and its grammatical category : greed = noun (N)
Decide the grammatical category of all the new words created by the other morphemes
greedy = adjective (A)
greediness = noun (N)

7. Constructing tree diagrams (2)
Write the divided word at the bottom of the page
greed-i-ness
Write the grammatical
category of the root
and join it to the word: greed
category of all the
new words created by
the other morphemes greed-i greed-i-ness
and join them up N A N

8. Now write the word and connect up all the categories
Now write the word and connect up all the categories. Can you label the boxes?

9. Well done!
Greed >
Greedy >
Greediness

10. Try this word - ‘specification’
Can you divide it up with hyphens?
specif-ic-ation
specif- = ‘specify’ = root

11. What are the grammatical categories ?
specif-ic-ation
specify = Verb
specific = Adjective
specification = Noun
What will be the shape of the tree?

12. Well done! Now label it

14. Find the roots the following words
unwholesome
whole
rulership
rule
underdeveloped
develop
overachiever
achieve
operational
operate
indispensable
dispense

15. Build the tree from the root
un-whole-some
whole A

16. Add the next word that is created to the tree
whole + some
this creates the new adjective wholesome
whole some A A

17. Add the next word that is created to the tree
un + wholesome
this creates the new adjective unwholesome
un whole-some A A A

18. Draw tree diagrams for the following words
rul-er-ship
under-develop-ed
over-achiev-er
operat-ion-al
in-dispens-able

24. Analysing compounds
Compound nouns can be a single word with two base forms:
e.g. windmill = wind + mill
rattlesnake = rattle + snake
How do we analyse these ?

25. Drawing a tree of a 1-word compound is easy
Windmill = noun
Wind = noun
Mill = noun
wind-mill N N N

26. black bird + black-bird
is a noun phrase is a compound noun
black bird black-bird N NP N N N N

27. Analysing 2-word compounds
Compound nouns can also be made up of two words
e.g. coffee table
In this case you have to decide which word is the head and which word is the modifier

28. Where is the head in these compounds
coffee table
swimming pool
car park
dish washer
oven cleaner
table
pool
park
washer
cleaner

29. dish washer dish washer = noun washer = noun wash = verb
-er = bound morpheme
wash = head
What shape is the tree?

30. Notice the label of the head

31. Analyse and draw a tree
Coffee table
Swimming pool
Car park