Question

Write the allomorph of the appropriate morpheme that occurs in the spoken form of the suffix in the following verbs : 1. Agrees, 2. Coughed, 3. Hated, 4. Calls, 5. Hisses.

Answer 1

  

Let’s first understand what ‘Morpheme’ and ‘Allomorph’ are.

According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning that a word can be divided into for example ‘Like ‘has one morpheme.  ‘Un-like-ly’ contains three.

Allomorph is one possible form of a particular morpheme. For example, the forms /s/, /z/ and /iz/ in cats, dogs and horses. 

 

Root Word                Morpheme                Allomorph       Spoken form of the suffix

Agree                          agree-s                             s                                       /z/

Cough                        cough-ed                           ed                                     /t/

Hate                           hate-d                                d                                       /id/

Call                             call-s                                   s                                      /z/

Hiss                           hiss-es                                es                                   /iz/