Questions and Answers

 1. What is the study of languages?

o A. Phonetics
o B. Syntax
o C. Linguistics
o D. Semantics

 2. It is the study of the meaning of languages.

o A.Phonetics
o B. Syntax
o C. Linguistics
o D. Semantics

 3. Phonetics is the study of the sounds of language. What

do we call to this sounds?
o A. Morphemes
o B. Phonemes
o C.Syntax
o D. Lexicology

 4. What is the study of language as it pertains to social

classes, ethnic groups, and genders?
o A. Psycholinguistics
o B. Comparative linguistics
o C. Sociolinguistics
o D.Linguistics

 5. It is the study of language from a cognitive and

developmental law.
o A. Psycholinguistics
o B.Sociolinguistics
o C.Comparative linguistics
 o D. Linguistics

 6. The English language begins with the Anglo-Saxons.

o A. True
o B. False

 7. Julius Caesar, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers

England in 1066.
o A. True
o B. False

 8. In 1348, English replaces Latin as the language of

instruction in most schools.
o A. True
o B. False

 9. Shakespeare is born on 1564 and died on 1660.

o A. True
o B. False

 10. French replaced English as the language of law.

o A.True
o B. False

 11. In the vocal tract, speech starts with the _________

which push air out (carbon dioxide) and pull it in (oxygen).

 12. Next, we have the latynx, or voice box. It sits at the

juncture of the __________ or windpipe coming up from
 the lungs,and esophagus coming up from the stomach.

 13. The vocal cords can be tightened and loosened and can
vibrate when air is past them, creating sounds called
________. examples include the consonants b, d, g, v, z
and r.

 14. Other phonemes do not involved the vocal cords and

there is no vibration, such as the consonants h, t, s, p, k, l,
and f are called _________.
Discuss

 15. At the top of the throat is the opening to the nasal

passages called the ___________.

 16. This are sound made with air passing through the nose.
examples include m, n, and ng sound of sing.
o A. Nasal
o B.Uvula
o C. Velum
o D. Bilabial

 17. The sounds made by holding the lips together and then
releasing the sound, such as p and b.
o A. Liquid
o B. Nasal
o C. Bilabial
o D.Bilabial nasal

 18. We can also use the upper teeth with the lower lip, for
_________ sounds. This is how we make an f sound.
o A. Uvular
 o B. Labiodental
o C. Velar
o D. Nasal

 19. We also have two names for the parts of the tongue
used with these various parts of the mouth: The front
edge is called the _______, sounds like t, th, and s are
made with this.
o A. Corona
o B. Dorsum
o C. Labiodental
o D. Dental

 20. And the back edge is called the _________. Sounds k,

g, and ng are made with this.
o A. Corona
o B. Dorsum
o C. Labiodental
o D. Dental

1. Grammar based on how people currently use a language rather than on

past usage and grammar is called

2. The study of _____ looks at all the ways particular words and phrases
are being used.

phonemes

dialect

usage
3. A language form with non-standard usage and pronunciation that's only
heard in one area is

a local dialect

a native language

a semantic language

4. Which term refers to any unit of language with meaning?

morpheme

phoneme

lexis

5. Which term refers to the smallest units of sound in a language?

a. morpheme

b .phoneme

c.lexis

6. Which term refers to all the words and word forms in a language that
have meaning or function?

morpheme

phoneme

lexis

7. A morpheme that occurs before, after, or within the root or stem of a

word is called

a prefix
a suffix

an affix

8. The study of language meaning, including connotative meaning, is

called

a.semantics

b.syntax

c.lexicology

9. The study of rules related to proper sentence formation is called

semantics

syntax

lexicology

10. The study of the form, meaning and behaviour of words is called

semantics

syntax

lexicology

1. descriptive grammar

2. usage

3. a local dialect
4. morpheme

5. phoneme

6. lexis

7. an affix

8. semantics

9. syntax

10. lexicology
4. What is defined as 'the study of sentence structure'?

a) Morphology
b) Semantics
c) Phonology
d) Syntax

The correct answer is d) Syntax

This set of Professional Communication Multiple Choice Questions &

Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Language and Linguistics”.

1. Who among these is an ancient linguist of India?

a) Patanjali
b) Tista Bagchi
c) Noam Chomsky
d) Kshetresa Chandra Chattopadhyaya
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: Linguistics is the study of language. Patanjali, the ancient
linguist of India, considered it as a human expression uttered out by
speech organs. The other three are modern linguists belonging to 19th
and 20th century.

2. Which of these people perceives language as a means to interpret

human experience?
a) Anthropologist
b) Sociologist
c) Philosopher
d) Students of literature
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: Language means different things to different people. To an
anthropologist, it is a form of cultural behaviour whereas to a sociologist,
it is a means of communication between members of a social group.
Students of literature may consider it as an artistic medium, while those
of philosophy may consider it a means to interpret human experience.

3. Language is a social phenomenon.

a) True
b) False
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: Language is a social phenomenon. Man may not have
needed a language if he had not made himself a part of a social group. A
language must thus convey social realities if it is to become an effective
means of communication.

4. Which of these words is based on the phenomena, ‘Onomatopoeia’?

a) Cuckoo
b) Book
c) Door
d) Blackboard
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: Language is arbitrary, that is there is no logical link between
any gjven feature of a language and its meaning. The only exception is in
the case of onomatopoeia, where the words imitate the sounds of their
referents. Here, cuckoo is the sound made by the bird which is how the
bird got its name.

5. Which of these is not a type of linguistics?

a) Historical
b) Personal
c) Comparative
d) Synchronic
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: Linguistics is a scientific study of language. It can be divided
into three types namely: Historical or Diachronic Linguistics, Synchronic
Linguistics and Comparative Linguistics.

6. Which of these finds out how a certain set of people use a language at a
given time?
a) Diachronic Linguistics
b) Comparative Linguistics
c) Synchronic Linguistics
d) Historical Linguistics
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: Synchronic Linguistics finds out how a certain set of people
use a language at a given time. Historical or Diachronic Linguistics studies
the link between language and history. Comparative Linguistics studies
the comparison between two or more languages.

7. Which of these is not a level of language?

a) Phonology
b) Grammar
c) Running
d) Semantics
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: R.H. Robins recommends three levels of structure of
language. These are phonology, grammar and semantics.
8. Which of these terms refers to the study of speech sounds of a given
language and their function within the sound system of that language?
a) Phonetics
b) Phonology
c) Syntax
d) Morphology
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: Phonology refers to the study of speech sounds of a given
language and their function within the sound system. Phonetics is the
study of speech process. Syntax and Morphology are sub-levels of the
grammatical system.

9. Which of these is the study of meaning of words, and the development

of the meaning of words?
a) Morphemics
b) Phonetics
c) Semantics
d) Syntax
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: Semantics is the study of the meaning of words, and the
developments of the meaning of words. The smallest unit of semantics is
semene, which is the minimum functional unit of meaning.