Question

Which part of a word is always a free morpheme?(1 point)
Responses

suffix
suffix

root word
root word

prefix
prefix

base word

Answer 1

The correct response is **root word**. A root word is always a free morpheme because it can stand alone as a word with meaning, while prefixes and suffixes are typically bound morphemes that cannot stand alone. Base word can also refer to a root word, but "root word" is the more precise term in this context.