Which word has four morphemes: "distract"?

Which word has four morphemes: "distract"?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Depends on context
• D. None of the above

Answer: (B)

The word "distract" consists of only two morphemes: the prefix "dis-" and the root "tract." A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language. In this case, "dis-" negates the action of the root "tract," which comes from the Latin word for "to pull" or "to draw." To analyze further, if the word were "distracted," it would have three morphemes: "dis-" (the prefix), "tract" (the root), and "-ed" (the past tense morpheme). However, as it stands with just "distract," it cannot be divided into four meaningful parts because it does not have sufficient additional components. This understanding clarifies why the statement regarding "distract" containing four morphemes is false.

The word "distract" consists of only two morphemes: the prefix "dis-" and the root "tract." A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language. In this case, "dis-" negates the action of the root "tract," which comes from the Latin word for "to pull" or "to draw."

To analyze further, if the word were "distracted," it would have three morphemes: "dis-" (the prefix), "tract" (the root), and "-ed" (the past tense morpheme). However, as it stands with just "distract," it cannot be divided into four meaningful parts because it does not have sufficient additional components.

This understanding clarifies why the statement regarding "distract" containing four morphemes is false.