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






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






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






4. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






5. Putting two old words together to make a new word (railway)






6. Two linked turns by different speakers which make sense only taken together (How are you? Fine. How about you?)






7. Affix after the root






8. A transformation in which you add an auxiliary verb and switching to question format






9. 1. Airstream 2. Phonation 3. Nasalization 4. Articulation






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






11. Combined phonemes - the smallest unit of language with a distinct meaning






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






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






14. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






17. A single sound. K - d - t - e






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






19. Putting two old words together to make a new word (railway)






20. Deals with the sounds of a language






21. The meaning of a sign






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






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






24. Meanings of the same word that are unrelated (bank)






25. A sentence in context






26. Describing the facts - Tries to determine why people use language the way they do - seeks to find the rules that govern spoken language






27. Aspects of meaning having to do with feelings or attitudes of speakers (liberal - terrorist)






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






29. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






31. The property of the surface structure of the text to 'hold together'






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






33. An utterance produced by a speaker






34. The property of the surface structure of the text to 'hold together'






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






36. A word that has died out






37. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






38. The meaning derived from flouting






39. Mental representation of a word






40. Shortening a longer word (phone - auto) to create new words






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






42. Aspects of meaning having to do with feelings or attitudes of speakers (liberal - terrorist)






43. A new word






44. The meaning derived from flouting






45. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






46. A transformation in which you change the voice of the sentence (Mary stoop up John --> John was stood up by Mary)






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






48. A new word






49. The ability to produce language - what you know






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