NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

In language learning, what does "morpheme" refer to?

1. The smallest unit of meaning

2. A type of syntax

3. A linguistic error

4. A sentence structure

The correct answer is: The smallest unit of meaning

A morpheme is defined as the smallest grammatical unit in a language that carries meaning. This can be a whole word, like "book," or a part of a word, such as the prefix "un-" in "unhappy" or the suffix "-ed" in "walked." Morphemes can be categorized as free morphemes, which can stand alone as words, and bound morphemes, which must attach to other morphemes to convey meaning. Understanding morphemes is essential in language learning because they help learners grasp the structure of words and the nuances of meaning that can change based on prefixes, suffixes, or even combinations of morphemes. In contrast, the other options reflect different aspects of language but do not define what a morpheme is. Syntax refers to the rules that govern sentence structure, linguistic errors pertain to mistakes in language usage, and sentence structure itself entails how words are arranged to form coherent sentences. None of these relate directly to the concept of morphemes.