Which is an example of an overgeneralization error in English morphology?

Which is an example of an overgeneralization error in English morphology?

• A. Goed instead of went
• B. Went for good
• C. Go-ed as the past tense
• D. Going

Answer: (A)

Overgeneralization in morphology happens when a learner applies a regular rule to forms where it doesn’t apply, creating an incorrect word. In English, the past tense of go is irregular: went. When someone says “goed,” they’re applying the standard past-tense rule that adds -ed to a verb stem. That pattern works for many verbs (walk → walked), but not for go, so “goed” is the incorrect form that results from extending the rule too far. This is different from the other options. For example, “went for good” uses the correct irregular past tense in a real phrase, so it’s not an error. Saying “go-ed” mirrors the idea of adding -ed, but it’s still describing the same incorrect generalization rather than a natural form. “Going” is the present participle, not a past tense form, so it reflects a different grammatical construction rather than an overgeneralization of past tense.

Overgeneralization in morphology happens when a learner applies a regular rule to forms where it doesn’t apply, creating an incorrect word. In English, the past tense of go is irregular: went. When someone says “goed,” they’re applying the standard past-tense rule that adds -ed to a verb stem. That pattern works for many verbs (walk → walked), but not for go, so “goed” is the incorrect form that results from extending the rule too far.

This is different from the other options. For example, “went for good” uses the correct irregular past tense in a real phrase, so it’s not an error. Saying “go-ed” mirrors the idea of adding -ed, but it’s still describing the same incorrect generalization rather than a natural form. “Going” is the present participle, not a past tense form, so it reflects a different grammatical construction rather than an overgeneralization of past tense.