ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

(Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics)

WARNING
1. PLAGIARISMOR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE
ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF
DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM
OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN
“AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY”.

Course: Phonetics and Phonology (9056) Semester: Autumn, 2023

Level: BS English

Please read the following instructions for writing your assignments. (AD, BS, B.Ed.
MA/MSc, MEd) (ODL Mode).
1. All questions are compulsory and carry equal marks but within a question the
marks are distributed according to its requirements.
2. Read the question carefully and then answer it according to the requirements of the
questions.
3. Avoid irrelevant discussion/information and reproducing from books, study guide
or allied material.
4. Handwritten scanned assignments are not acceptable.
5. Upload your typed (in Word or PDF format) assignments on or before the due date.
6. Your own analysis and synthesis will be appreciated.
7. Late assignments can’t be uploaded at LMS.
8. The students who attempt their assignments in Urdu/Arabic may upload a scanned
copy of their handwritten assignments (in PDF format) on University LMS. The
size of the file should not exceed 5MB.

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

ASSIGNMENT No. 1
Q.1 What is assimilation? How progressive assimilation is different from regressive
assimilation, explain with examples. (20)

Q.2 Transcribe the following paragraph: (20)

During the meeting on Monday, the government is expected to take some

“immediate relief steps”, such as reduction in taxes on electricity, payment of bills
in installments. “and withdrawal of electricity quotas being enjoyed by Discos and
government officials. “Meeting on power will continue for the whole day on
Monday in which some relief will be given to the electricity consumers,”
Information Minister Murtaza Solangi told Dawn.
Q.3 Peter Roach (1998) states the following four main functions of intonation: Discuss
any two of them. (20)
1. The attitudinal function of intonation
2. The accentual function of intonation
3. The grammatical function of intonation
4. The discourse function of intonation

Q.4 Identify the stressed and unstressed words in the following Shakespearian Sonnet

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is never-fixed mark
That looks a tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark,
Whose worth’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov’d,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d. (20)

Q.5 Describe five English consonants and five English vowels in terms of their place and
manner of articulation, with the help of relevant examples. (20)

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

ASSIGNMENT No. 2

Q.1 Transcribe the following while focusing on diphthongs: (10)

fire tare tour

men mayor moor
spear spare
speed speared

Q.2 David Crystal highlights five functions of intonation; emotional, grammatical,

informational, textual and psychological functions, explain them with relevant
examples. (10)

Q.3 Put the stress on the right syllable on the given sentences: (10)
A stressed syllable is often, but not always, louder than an unstressed syllable.
 A stressed syllable is produced with greater respiratory energy by pushing more
air out of the lungs in one syllable as compared to others.
The most reliable thing for a listener to detect is that a stressed syllable frequently
has longer vowel than it would have if it were unstressed.

Q.4 Place the following vowels sounds in the quadrilateral diagram of the English
vowels.
Frontvowels: i:Ieæ
Centralvowels:
Back vowels: u: ʊ ɒɑ: ɔ(10)

Q.5 Explain the function of active & passive articulators in the production of speech
sounds keeping in view the following statement.
Speech sounds are basically the outcome of many movements including that
of air movement from lungs into larynx and then from there into vocal tract
and then from there into vocal tract and the movement of tongue and lips. (10)

Q.6 Explain the following diagram in your own words. (10)

Q.7 ‘Accent is the typical way people from a particular geographical area, Country or
social group pronounce words (speak differently).
Discuss the above mentioned definition of ‘accent’ with reference to RP
(received pronunciation) and VOA (voice of America). (10)
Q.8How can IPA transcription system help new learners’ improve learning and
Teaching of English pronunciation and teach it in a befitting manner?(10)

Q.9Pitch of the voice plays an important role in human speech as we continuously.

Change pitch according to the context of the communication with a lot of
Arbitrary choices and constantly changing between ‘high’ and ‘low’ pitch. Discuss with
relevant daily examples. (10)
Q.10 Identity weak forms and strong forms of words. Write down at least ten different
examples of each of the form. (10)