Can a copy effect change the type of an object that is being copied?

A copy effect can indeed change the type of an object that is being copied, but only if that is specifically stated in the effect. Copying in Magic: The Gathering adheres to the principle of duplicating the characteristics of the original object. However, if the copy effect explicitly states that it can change the type or other characteristics, then it will do so as described.

For example, an effect could state, "Create a token that's a copy of target creature, except it's a Spirit." In this case, the copy effect has modified the type of the original object to meet the specifications given in the effect. Therefore, the correct answer recognizes that it is not an inherent quality of all copy effects to change types, but a capacity afforded by specific wording in some effects.