Question: Why do we see spelling changes in happy → happiness or decide → decision?
Answer: Because of phonological and morphological adjustment rules: to keep pronunciation natural when adding affixes.
Question: Which prefix is more productive today: dis- or un-?
Answer: Un- is more productive — it combines freely with many adjectives and verbs (unfair, unplug), while dis- is more limited (disagree, dislike).
Question: Why does stress placement change meaning in blackbird vs. black bird?
Answer: In blackbird (compound), stress is on the first word → one meaning (a type of bird). In black bird (phrase), both words are stressed → any bird that’s b
Question: Why does the prefix un- attach easily to adjectives like happy and kind, but not to nouns like table?
Answer: Because un- is a negative prefix that combines mainly with adjectives and verbs, not with nouns. It changes meaning, not word class.
Question: Why does butterfly not literally mean “a fly made of butter”?
Answer: Because some compounds become idiomatic — their meaning is no longer a sum of parts.
Question: Why are some compounds written as ice cream, some mother-in-law, and others notebook?
Answer: Because English spelling varies by usage and familiarity: open compounds (two words) → newer terms hyphenated → transitional forms closed → fully est
Question: Why is dog food factory ambiguous?
Answer: It can mean “a factory that produces dog food” or “a factory owned by dogs” (context decides). This shows semantic ambiguity in compounds.
Question: How does the suffix -er change the meaning of the word teach?
Answer: It creates a noun meaning “a person who does an action,” → teacher.
Question: What is the head in the compound teacup, and how does it affect meaning?
Answer: Cup is the head — it tells the word’s category (a noun). A teacup is a kind of cup, not a kind of tea.
Question: What relationship exists between the parts of toothpaste?
Answer: It’s a modifier–head relationship: tooth explains the type of paste → paste used for teeth.
Question: Why are derivational affixes less predictable in meaning than inflectional ones?
Answer: Because derivational affixes can create new words and meanings, while inflectional ones only change form (like tense or number).
Question: What is the difference between rebuild and build again?
Answer: Both mean to construct again, but rebuild (affixed form) is more compact and natural in English, showing productivity of re- prefixation.
Question: Why do modernize and nationalize differ in meaning although both use -ize?
Answer: Because -ize means “to make or become,” but its meaning depends on the root: modernize = make modern; nationalize = bring under national control.
Question: How does affixation cause a shift in word class in beauty → beautiful → beautifully?
Answer: Each affix changes the grammatical category: noun (beauty), adjective (beautiful), adverb (beautifully).