Introduction to Linguistics - Study Guide

HW1,

Which statement best defines linguistics?
A) Teaching and learning new languages.
B) The scientific study of human language.
C) The study of correct grammar and speech.

B) The scientific study of human language.

Which topic falls outside the main goals of linguistics?
A) How bilingual children acquire two languages from birth.
B) How new words and meanings spread through a community over time.
C) Which older form of English should be preserved in schools.

C) Which older form of English should be preserved in schools.

Linguistics primarily studies language as
A) A written system of spelling and punctuation.
B) A set of rules decided by schools and dictionaries.
C) A human cognitive and social system used for communication.

C) A human cognitive and social system used for communication.

A teacher marks “Ain’t nobody got time for that” as incorrect and writes: “Never use ain’t, it is bad grammar.” Which of the following best describes the teacher’s comment?
A) Descriptive grammar
B) Prescriptive grammar
C) Historical linguistics

B) Prescriptive grammar

A linguistics student record casual conversations with friends and finds that many speakers regularly use “There’s a lot of people here” (singular there’s) even when the noun is plural (people). Which analysis is most consistent with descriptive grammar?
A) The pattern is random and therefore not meaningful for studying language
B) The speakers are making errors and should be corrected to “There are a lot of people here.”
C) The pattern suggest a systematic opinion in English grammar that many speakers use in casual speech.

C) The pattern suggest a systematic opinion in English grammar that many speakers use in casual speech.

The mental grammar is
A) What people should say and write.
B) The knowledge people have of their native language.
C) The knowledge of language people acquire in school.

B) The knowledge people have of their native language.

Phonetics

The articulation and perception of speech sounds.

Phonology

The patterning of speech sounds.

Morphology

Word fomration.

Syntax

Sentence formation.

Semantics

The interpretation of words and sentences.