Which description correctly defines zero-derivation in word formation?

• A. A process where a word changes grammatical class without adding affixes.
• B. A process of forming a new word by combining two existing words.
• C. A process of shortening a word by clipping.
• D. A process of altering a word's vowel sound.

Answer: (A)

Zero-derivation is when a word shifts to a different grammatical class without adding any prefixes or suffixes. In English this happens when the same form serves as more than one part of speech, with its function changing by context alone. For example, text can be a noun (a short message) and the same word can be used as a verb (to text someone) without any change in spelling or affixes. Similarly, a word like run can be a noun (a run) or a verb (to run) without altering its form. This kind of conversion relies on the word’s role in a sentence rather than on new morphology.

The other described processes involve different mechanisms: forming a new word by combining two existing words is compounding; shortening a word by clipping reduces its length; altering a vowel sound is a phonological change or a vowel shift, not a change in grammatical class without affixes.