Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

What is an affix?

1. A prefix or suffix

2. A word that can stand alone

3. A root word that cannot have prefixes

4. A word that has no meaning on its own

The correct answer is: A prefix or suffix

An affix is a linguistic element that attaches to a root word to alter its meaning or grammatical function. This includes both prefixes, which are added to the beginning of a word, and suffixes, which are added to the end. For example, in the word "unhappy," "un-" is a prefix that modifies the meaning of the root word "happy," while in "happiness," "-ness" is a suffix that changes the adjective "happy" into a noun. The other options do not accurately define an affix. A word that can stand alone is known as a free morpheme, and does not involve the concept of an affix. A root word that cannot have prefixes does not accurately address the nature of affixes because any root word can potentially take on affixes depending on its use. Lastly, a word that has no meaning on its own aligns more with the definition of a bound morpheme, which cannot stand alone but does not capture the concept of affixes as a whole. Therefore, identifying affixes correctly as prefixes or suffixes is essential for understanding their role in word formation and meaning.