Derrick was given a test where he had to identify morphemes. In one particular case, he was asked to identify the number of morphemes in the word rescuer. If Derrick answered correctly, he was able to identify _____ morpheme(s).

• A. one
• B. two
• C. three
• D. four

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of a morpheme: A morpheme is the smallest grammatical unit in a language. It can be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix or suffix) that has meaning.
2. Break down the word 'rescuer' into its components: Identify the root word and any prefixes or suffixes.
3. Identify the root word: In 'rescuer', the root word is 'rescue', which is a morpheme because it carries meaning on its own.
4. Identify the suffix: The suffix '-er' is added to 'rescue' to form 'rescuer'. The suffix '-er' is a morpheme because it changes the meaning of the word to indicate a person who performs the action.
5. Count the morphemes: Combine the root word 'rescue' and the suffix '-er'. Since both are morphemes, the word 'rescuer' consists of two morphemes.