This article investigates basic word formation patterns in modern English using a corpus-based approach. The study focuses on affixation, derivation, and compounding as the primary mechanisms responsible for lexical expansion. Data were extracted from large, balanced English language corpora and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The results show that affixation is the most productive word formation pattern, followed by derivation and compounding. The findings also reveal register-based variation, with affixation and derivation dominating academic discourse and compounding being more frequent in descriptive and technical texts. The study confirms that basic word formation patterns remain central to the structure and development of modern English vocabulary. The results have important implications for morphological theory and English language teaching, particularly in the area of vocabulary development.

Word formation, Morphology, Affixation

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