What would you add if a root word is by itself?

It sounds like you're asking about affixes. Affixes are word parts that are added to a root word to change its meaning or grammatical function. They can be:

* Prefixes: Added to the beginning of a word (e.g., *un-* in *unhappy*).

* Suffixes: Added to the end of a word (e.g., *-ing* in *walking*).

So, to answer your question, you would add prefixes and suffixes to a root word standing alone.

Here are some examples:

Root word: happy

* Prefix: unhappy

* Suffix: happily

Root word: read

* Prefix: re-read

* Suffix: reader

Let me know if you have any other questions!