Courseversity

Lesson

Morphological analysis

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U02-L0445–60 min

You will learn

  • Segment words into morphemes.
  • Explain each part.
  • Predict meaning.
  • Recognise changes in word class.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Segment the word.
  2. Name each morpheme.
  3. Combine meanings.
  4. Check the word class.

Words to know

morpheme
the smallest meaningful unit of a word
prefix
a morpheme added to the start
suffix
a morpheme added to the end
word class
the type of word, such as noun or adjective

1. Discover: Breaking down “misunderstanding”

Ayo segments misunderstanding as mis + under + stand + ing. Mis- (wrongly), understand (base), -ing (makes a noun). Together, a wrong understanding.

Another: unhappiness = un + happy (y to i) + ness. The suffix -ness turns an adjective into a noun. And reusable = re + use + able.

Think: How does each morpheme change meaning or word class?

2. Understand: Taking words apart

Idea 1: Morphemes

A morpheme is the smallest meaningful part. Words can have a prefix, a base and a suffix.

Idea 2: Meaning

Prefixes change meaning (mis- = wrongly, re- = again). Suffixes often change the word class (-ness makes a noun).

Idea 3: Spelling

Spelling can change when affixes are added: happy becomes happi-ness.

Remember: Segment words into morphemes to work out meaning, word class and spelling changes.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Segment

Segment unhappiness.

  1. Parts.

Answer: un + happy + ness

Example 2 (We do it together): Suffix

What does -ness do?

  1. Noun.

Answer: turns an adjective into a noun

Example 3 (You try): Prefix

What does mis- mean?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Wrongly.

Answer: wrongly or badly

Did you know?

English has about 100 common affixes that unlock thousands of words.

Why this matters

Morphological analysis boosts reading, spelling and vocabulary.

4. Explore: Word surgery

Analyse words.

  1. Choose five long words.
  2. Segment each.
  3. Explain each part.
  4. Predict the meaning.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can analyse morphemes.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The base is ___.
  • The prefix means ___.
  • The suffix changes the word class to ___.
  • Together it means ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. The smallest meaningful unit of a word is a ___.

morpheme

Question 2. A morpheme at the start is a ___.

prefix

Question 3. A morpheme at the end is a ___.

suffix

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. The smallest meaningful unit of a word is a ___.
  2. A morpheme at the start is a ___.
  3. A morpheme at the end is a ___.
  4. The type of word is its word ___.
  5. Misunderstanding means a wrong ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. What does re- mean?
  2. What does -able mean?
  3. What is the base of reusable?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can suffixes change word class?
  2. Can spelling change with suffixes?
  3. Is mis- a prefix?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Segment and explain five long words.

Show a sample answer

a morpheme list

Another one. Segment three long words from a book and explain them to a family member.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can segment words into morphemes.
  • I can explain each part.
  • I can predict meaning.
  • I can recognise changes in word class.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A morpheme is the smallest meaningful ___.

2. A prefix is added to the ___.

3. A suffix is added to the ___.

4. Word class is the ___ of word.

5. Segment misunderstanding: mis + under + stand + ___

6. What does mis- mean?

7. What does -ness make?

8. What does reusable mean?

9. What is unhappiness?

10. What happens to happy in unhappiness?

11. What helps analysis?

12. Why analyse morphemes?

Challenge 1. Which segments correctly?

Challenge 2. What does disagreement mean?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Segment the word.
  • Name each morpheme.
  • Combine meanings.
  • Check the word class.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Word origins. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a morpheme? [1 mark]
  2. Segment unhappiness. [3 marks]
  3. What does -ness do to a word? [1 mark]
  4. What does reusable mean? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to analyse a word. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. the smallest meaningful unit of a word [1]
  2. un [1]; happy [1]; ness [1]
  3. turns an adjective into a noun [1]
  4. able to be used again [1]
  5. segment into morphemes [1]; explain each part [1]; combine meanings and check word class [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. The smallest meaningful unit of a word is a ___.
  2. A morpheme at the start is a ___.
  3. A morpheme at the end is a ___.
  4. The type of word is its word ___.
  5. Misunderstanding means a wrong ___.
  6. What does re- mean?
  7. What does -able mean?
  8. What is the base of reusable?
  9. Can suffixes change word class?
  10. Can spelling change with suffixes?

Homework

Segment three long words from a book and explain them to a family member.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. The smallest meaningful unit of a word is a ___. morpheme 1
2. A morpheme at the start is a ___. prefix 1
3. A morpheme at the end is a ___. suffix 1
4. The type of word is its word ___. class 1
5. Misunderstanding means a wrong ___. understanding 1
6. What does re- mean? again 1
7. What does -able mean? can be 1
8. What is the base of reusable? use 1
9. Can suffixes change word class? yes 1
10. Can spelling change with suffixes? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 morpheme; 2 prefix; 3 suffix; 4 class; 5 understanding. Level 2: 1 again; 2 can be; 3 use. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Segment words into morphemes Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Explain each part Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Predict meaning Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Recognise changes in word class Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: segment words into morphemes; explain each part; predict meaning; recognise changes in word class.

Prerequisite knowledge. Greek and Latin roots.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 9-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.6.4b and L.6.2 (morphology and spelling); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (word structure). These sources informed the lesson.

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