Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

What distinguishes derivational affixes from inflectional affixes?

1. Derivational affixes modify the grammatical function of a word

2. Derivational affixes alter the meaning or part of speech of a word

3. Inflectional affixes change the part of speech of a word

4. Inflectional affixes always precede derivational affixes

The correct answer is: Derivational affixes alter the meaning or part of speech of a word

Derivational affixes are distinguished by their ability to change the meaning or the part of speech of a base word. For instance, adding the suffix "-ness" to the adjective "happy" transforms it into the noun "happiness," illustrating a shift from one part of speech to another while also modifying the word's semantic meaning. This showcases how derivational affixes contribute to the richness of language by creating new words and altering meanings. The role of inflectional affixes is primarily to provide grammatical information about a word, such as tense, number, or case, without changing the part of speech of the base word. For example, adding "-s" to "cat" to make it "cats" indicates pluralization but does not change "cat" from a noun to something else. Therefore, recognizing the significant transformation that derivational affixes can impart on a word's form and function is key to understanding their distinct role in morphology.