Test your basic knowledge |

Linguistics Basics

Subject : humanities
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Noam Chomsky's idea that the principles that govern grammar are genetically programmed in human beings






2. A transformation in which you add a negation word to the sentence






3. Affix after the root






4. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






5. What we say in a literal sense (speech act)






6. The fact that saying something commits you to it (vow - promise - swearing) (speech act)






7. An utterance produced by a speaker






8. Words that depend on the context of a sentence for meaning (I - here - now)






9. Deals with how sentences are formed






10. Invent new words from scratch (Xerox - Kleenex)






11. The effect an utterance has on its audience (speech act)






12. Purposefully violating one of the principles/maxims of cooperation






13. Deals with how sentences are formed






14. A transformation in which you divide the phrasal verb (Mary stood up John --> Mary stoop John up)






15. The Principle of cooperation that states that one does not say what is false or what you lack evidence for






16. The effect an utterance has on its audience (speech act)






17. A transformation in which you shift the object of a sentence (Mary gave a book to John --> Mary gave John a book)






18. The meaning derived from flouting






19. The overall meaning of a text






20. The science that studies language






21. What can be deduced from the sentence's literal meaning






22. Describes how language words today or at any given moment in time - not concerned with origin/history






23. How sentences and texts are used in the world(context)






24. A syntactic phenomenon where a given constituent is in a constituent of the same kind






25. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






26. 1. Quality or timbre 2. Volume 3. Length 4. Pitch or tone






27. Aspects of meaning concerning other meanings of an expression that may be activated when irrelevant (cock)






28. The rise and fall of sentences






29. Breaking a word down by the way it looks and adding morphemes (workaholic - veggieburger)






30. Deals with the meaning of words - sentences - and texts






31. Associations that an individual/small group may develop through everyday experiences (inside joke)






32. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






33. The Principle of cooperation that states that one does not say what is false or what you lack evidence for






34. Aspects of meaning having to do with different levels of formality






35. A transformation in which you divide the phrasal verb (Mary stood up John --> Mary stoop John up)






36. Describes how language words today or at any given moment in time - not concerned with origin/history






37. The set of sentences that must be true for the sentence to be true






38. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






39. All aspects of meaning that go beyond the sense of the word - or the literal meaning






40. Aspects of meaning having to do with different levels of formality






41. The ability to produce language - what you know






42. The set of sentences that must be true for the sentence to be true






43. Aspects of meaning having to do with the linguistic environment in which the expression occurs (cease and desist)






44. 1. Representations 2. Directives 3. Expressives 4. Commissives 5. Declaratives






45. A black and white - right and wrong approach to language - traditional - seeks to impose outside arbitrary rules






46. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






47. Core meaning - corresponds to a sign's sense or intension - the literal meaning of a word






48. The meaning of a sign






49. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






50. Affix before the root