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1. What is blending in word formation? Give an example.
Answer: Blending is a process where parts of two words are combined to make a new word. Example: brunch (breakfast + lunch).
Explain why the word smog is a blend and not a compound.
Smog takes sm from smoke + og from fog. In a compound, full words remain intact (e.g., toothbrush). Here, only parts are taken → blending.
Give two modern blended words and identify the source words.
Answer: Motel = motor + hotel. Frenemy = friend + enemy.
What is clipping? Give an example.
Answer: Clipping reduces a longer word to a shorter form without changing the meaning. Example: exam ← examination.
Provide three types of clipping with examples.
Answer: Back clipping: ad ← advertisement. Fore clipping: phone ← telephone. Middle clipping: flu ← influenza.
Why is the word gym considered a clipped form?
Answer: Because gym is shortened from gymnasium, keeping the meaning but reducing the length.
What is an acronym? Give two examples.
Answer: An acronym is formed from the initial letters of words and pronounced as a new word. Examples: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) NASA (Nationa
What is the difference between an acronym and an initialism? Provide examples.
Answer: Acronym: pronounced as a word → UNESCO. Initialism: pronounced letter by letter → USB, BBC, USA.
Give three acronyms commonly used in everyday English. Write full forms.
Answer: LOL → Laugh Out Loud GPS → Global Positioning System ATM → Automated Teller Machine
What is back-formation? Explain with an example.
Answer: Back-formation creates a new word by removing what is assumed to be an affix. Example: edit ← editor (people removed -or).
Why is televise considered a back-formation?
Answer: It was created from television by removing the ending -sion, forming a verb.
What does "productivity" mean in word formation?
Answer: Productivity refers to how easily and frequently a process creates new words. Example: Adding -er to verbs (work → worker) is highly productive.
