Language: Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

This is an MCQ-based quiz for GRE on the topic of Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases.

Phonemes are the smallest unit of language that create sound, Morpheme refers to the smallest unit of language that carries meaning, and A phrase is a small group of words that communicates a concept but isn't a full sentence.

Start Quiz

Which of the following is best defined as the smallest unit of language that carries meaning?

Phoneme Grammar Concept Word Morpheme

A gorilla which has learned a limited form of sign language gains the attention of its trainer and signs the incomplete sentence "treat, bring now." This is most closely an example of which of the following?

Babbling Telegraphic speech Syntax error Language drift Overgeneralization

Which of the following words contains an example of a cranberry morpheme?

Sublimation Deadly Damaging Progeny Killed

The addition of a string of phonologically absent symbols onto a word creates which of the following?

Null morpheme Cranberry morpheme Allomorph Contraindicated morpheme None of these

Which of the following is not an example of a inflectional morpheme?

Kind. . . Kindest Word. . . Words Cruel. . . Cruelty None of these Drag. . . Dragged

Which of the following is not an example of a derivative morpheme?

Make. . . Maker Wise. . . Wiser Sell. . . Seller None of these Smile. . . Smiler

Which of the following pairs of words best illustrates the definition of an allomorph?

Flavoring. . . Seasoning Blasts. . . Hikes Depth. . . Width None of these Wasted. . . Wished

Telegraphic speech, where morphemic usage is limited to very short usage, is commonly seen in adults as a symptom of which of the following?

Dysarthria Non-fluent aphasia Nominal aphasia All of these Word salad

Which of the following correctly mirrors the types of inflectional morphemes below: Possessive. . . Superlative. . . Past Tense. . . Past Participle

None of these Cars. . . Grandest. . . Ran. . . Jumps Mine. . . Greater. . . Held. . . Swinging Its. . . Highest. . . Waited. . . Waited Zach's. . . Strongest. . . Proven. . . Joined

One generally agreed-upon difference between phonemes and morphemes is best described by which of the following?

None of these Phonemes are more limited in number than morphemes Morphemes cannot be learned until phonemes are mastered Morphemes are generally necessary to express complex ideas, whereas phonemes are sufficient for simplistic communication Everyone across the world uses the same set of phonemes, but morphemes vary wildly

Quiz/Test Summary

Title: Language: Phonemes, Morphemes, & Phrases

Questions: 10

Contributed by: