Which statement describes a free morpheme?

Which statement describes a free morpheme?

• A. A morpheme that must attach to another morpheme to convey meaning
• B. A morpheme that marks tense
• C. A morpheme that changes the part of speech
• D. A morpheme that can stand alone and has meaning

Answer: (D)

A free morpheme is a word that carries meaning all by itself and can stand alone. Think of simple words like book or dog—their meanings are complete without needing extra pieces. You can add other bits to these roots to make bigger words, but those added pieces are usually bound morphemes, meaning they must attach to a base to convey meaning (like -s for plural or -ed for past tense). The options that describe elements that must attach to another morpheme, or things that mainly function as tense markers or derivational changes, point to bound morphemes rather than free ones. Free morphemes, by contrast, are the ones you can say and understand on their own.

A free morpheme is a word that carries meaning all by itself and can stand alone. Think of simple words like book or dog—their meanings are complete without needing extra pieces. You can add other bits to these roots to make bigger words, but those added pieces are usually bound morphemes, meaning they must attach to a base to convey meaning (like -s for plural or -ed for past tense). The options that describe elements that must attach to another morpheme, or things that mainly function as tense markers or derivational changes, point to bound morphemes rather than free ones. Free morphemes, by contrast, are the ones you can say and understand on their own.