Syntax Midterm

Which of the following is an accurate definition for syntax?

the rules of word structure

the rules relating to the meaning of language

the rules that occur within social situations

the rules of sentence structure

the rules of speech sounds

What does an asterisk (*) at the beginning of a sentence mean in this course (and in the research literature)?

the example is a function sentence

the example is strong/excellent

the example is prescriptive

the example is ungrammatical

Your second grade teacher tells you, "No, it's may I get a drink of water not can I get a drink of water." Your teacher is demonstrating which of the following?

a prescriptive syntactic approach

a descriptive syntactic approach

an ungrammatical sentence

an explanation of language form

Dialect is another way of saying a person's speech is ungrammatical.

True

False

Which of the following is NOT commonly seen crosslinguistically?

nouns

verbs

conjunctions

prepositions

Syntactic categories are defined semantically AND positionally.

True

False

Which of the following is an example of language function?

to inform

nouns

adjectives

verbs

The grammatical category of a word is an example of what?

form

function

prescriptive syntactic approach

descriptive syntactic approach

When considering treatment targets, an SLP will only need to consider syntax when working with children.

True

False

According to your textbook, idioms are examples of ungrammatical forms which are still considered to be acceptable.

True

False

The family will eat together each night. Which of the following is true about family?

it's a proper noun
it's a common noun
it has a bound morpheme
it's a pronoun

The Cincinnati Bearcat is the greatest mascot. Which of the following is true about Cincinnati Bearcat?

it's a pronoun
it's a proper noun
it's a common noun
it has a bound morpheme

The candy, Skittles, would be considered to be part of which of the following classifications of nouns?

superordinate
basic
abstract
subordinate

The term, candy, would be considered to be part of which of the following classifications of nouns?

superordinate
subordinate
abstract
basic

Which of the following is true regarding children's acquisition of nouns?

Children learn both concrete and abstract nouns at the same time
Children vary in what order they learn concrete and abstract nouns
Children learn abstract nouns before concrete nouns
Children learn concrete nouns before abstract nouns

Which of the following is an example of a noncount noun?

spoon
pencil
hug
milk

Which of the following is an example of an abstract noun?

justice
rain
book
water

How many nouns are in the following sentence?

The horse galloped across the green field.

Identify the collective noun in the following sentence:

We could hear the pack of wolves howling.

wolves
pack
howling
We

Which type of noun refers to names of specific people, places, or things and is always capitalized?

proper noun
common noun
collective noun
abstract noun

Which of the following is true about the pronoun we.

it is second person

it is masculine

it is nominative

it is objective

Select the third person, feminine, singular, objective case pronoun from the following options

hers

her

she

they

you

That book is really long. Which of the following is true regarding that?

it is an interrogative pronoun

it is a demonstrative pronoun

it is a reflexive pronoun

it is an objective pronoun

What do you like about speech-language pathology? Which of the following is true regarding what?

it's an interrogative pronoun

it's a demonstrative pronoun

it's an indefinite pronoun

it's an interrogative adjective

Which of the following statements is true regarding pronoun use in individuals with communication disorders?

Pronoun reversals, such as substituting I and you, is uncommon

Impairments with pronouns are not frequently observed in individuals with communication disorders

Objective form, such as me, is often switched with subjective form, such as I

Individuals with communication disorders are never able to use pronouns

She wants to do it herself. Which of the following is true regarding herself?

it is an indefinite pronoun

it is an interrogative pronoun

it is a reflexive pronoun

it is a demonstrative pronoun

Nobody said a word all night. Which of the following is true regarding nobody?

it is a demonstrative pronoun

it is a reflexive pronoun

it is an interrogative pronoun

it is an indefinite pronoun

Which of the following is NOT true regarding English pronouns?

Pronouns are inflected for number.

Pronouns can have affixes

Pronouns cannot have determiners

Pronouns are inflected for person

Identify the pronoun referent in the following sentence:

Ryan finished reading his book.

reading

Ryan

his

book

Which of the following options is said to "refer to a noun" within a sentence instead of "replacing a noun"?

relative pronouns

nominative pronouns

objective pronouns

indefinite pronoun

Which sentence uses first person plural?

"We write every day."

"You write every day."

"I write every day."

"He writes every day."

What is the number of the verb in the sentence: "The children were playing outside"?

None of the above

Plural

Singular

Dual

Which form of the verb is used in the sentence: "She was running when it started to rain"?

Past progressive

Simple present

Simple past

Present perfect

Determine the mood of the verb that is underlined: "If I were you, I would apologize."

Subjunctive

Interrogative

Imperative

Indicative

Which of the following sentences contains a gerund?

"They read novels."

"She has read a novel."

"She reads novels every day."

"He enjoys reading novels."

Determine the voice of the verb in the sentence: "The book was written by the author."

Active

Indicative

Passive

Subjunctive

Which of the following sentences uses a verb in the past perfect tense?

"He is writing an email now."

"I wrote a letter yesterday."

"They will have finished the work by tomorrow."

"She had written the report before the meeting."

Identify the main verb in the sentence: "She has been reading the book for hours."

been

reading

book

has

Which of the following sentences contains a transitive verb?

"She laughed loudly at the joke."

"The cat slept on the mat."

"They built a sandcastle on the beach."

"He arrived late to the party."

Which of the following sentences uses a modal verb?

"She is reading a novel."

"He could play the piano very well."

"I am working on the project."

"They had finished their homework."

Determine whether the verb in the sentence is transitive or intransitive: "The children played in the park."

Transitive

Ditransitive

Intransitive

Both transitive and intransitive

Which adjective is in the superlative form?

Bigger

More big

Biggest

Big

Which of the following is a limiting adjective?

Beautiful

Red

Several

Loud

What type of adjective is "blue" in the sentence "The blue sky is clear"?

Superlative Adjective

Limiting Adjective

Descriptive Adjective

Comparative Adjective

Which sentence contains a predicate adjective?

The cat, fluffy and warm, sleeps on the bed.

The cat is fluffy.

The fluffy cat sleeps.

The fluffiest cat nuzzles against me.

Which of the following sentences includes an attributive adjective?

The house is old.

The house became old.

The house looks old.

The old house is charming.

Which of the following examples is a positive adjective?

Happiest

Young

More intelligent

Taller

Which statement is true about the sentence: “These blokes warm the benches.”

These is a demonstrative adjective

These is an interrogative pronoun

These is an interrogative adjective

These is a demonstrative pronoun

Which statement is true about the sentence: “Which statement is true?”

Which is a demonstrative pronoun

Which is a demonstrative adjective

Which is an interrogative adjective

Which is an interrogative pronoun

Which of the following sentences includes a demonstrative adjective?

Those girls are huge fans of Taylor Swift.

Those are Taylor Swift’s biggest fans.

Which of the following is a noun adjunct?

Red barn

Tiny house

Big apple

Paper towel

Which of the following parts of speech is NOT modified by an adverb?

adverb

verb

noun

adjective

In which sentence is the word "fast" used as an adverb?

He is a fast runner.

She runs fast.

The fast car zoomed by.

He drives fast cars.

Identify the adverb(s) in this sentence. Select all that apply.

"Despite being old, my cat still jumps very high."

high

despite

still

very

What is the adverb in the following sentence?

"My portly cat eats faster than I do."

than

faster

portly

eats

Which of the following words is an adverb formed from an adjective?

Happiness

Happy

Happiest

Happily

Identify the adverb(s) in the sentence. Select all that apply.

“I remember it all too well.”

all

too

well

Identify the adverb in this sentence:

"I will finish the project tomorrow."

will

project

tomorrow

finish

What type of adverb is the word "here" in the sentence: Please sit here?

Adverb of time

Adverb of manner

Adverb of place

Adverb of frequency

Which word is NOT an adverb in the following sentence?

"Even though he was incredibly tired, he still managed to work late into the night."

late

incredibly

into

still

Identify the adverb(s) in the sentence. Select all that apply.

"We headed west toward the setting sun.”

west

setting

toward

headed

Which of the following is a definite article?

The

Some

Which of the following is true about determiners?

Nothing can be between the determiner and the noun

Determiners can occur before or after nouns

Determiners can exist on their own without a noun

Determiners occur in front of nouns

How many INDEFINITE articles are in the following excerpt?

On a sunny afternoon, Rachel decided to explore the nearby park. She brought a colorful kite and a picnic blanket, excited to spend time outdoors. As she ran through the grass, the kite soared high into the sky, dancing among the clouds. It was the perfect day for an adventure, and she felt a sense of freedom that only nature could provide.

How many DEFINITE articles are in the following excerpt?

Which of the following is NOT considered a type of determiner?

indefinite articles

possessives

nouns

quantifiers

demonstratives

definite articles

Which type of determiner refers to a non-specific entity? Select all that apply.

indefinite article

a/an

the

definite article

If you are asked to identify a determiner in this course, you should identify articles, possessives, demonstratives, quantifiers, and wh-words.

True

False

How many DEFINITE articles are in the following excerpt?

One day, a dog which was very hungry was crossing the street. Suddenly he saw a shop selling meat. Since the dog hadn’t eaten for a few days, he could not control his hunger. When the shopkeeper wasn’t looking, the dog took some meat and ran away. The dog ran till it came near a clear stream to enjoy his food.

How many INDEFINITE articles are in the following excerpt?

Which of the following is a quantifier?

The

Every

Their

Which

How many simple conjunctions are in the following excerpt?

I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain. I decided to stay inside so I could read my book or bake some cookies.

Which of the following is a coordinating conjunction?

And

When

Because

Although

Which sentence uses a conjunctive adverb correctly?

I like apples and bananas.

Although it was late, we went for a walk.

He plays guitar but he sings.

She was tired; however, she finished her homework.

What type of conjunction is "since" representing in the sentence: "I stayed home since it was raining"?

Coordinating conjunction

Subordinating conjunction

Correlative conjunction

Conjunctive adverb

Which type of conjunction connects two or more pieces of semantic information that is “equal” in its importance?

Subordinating conjunction

Coordinating conjunction

Correlative conjunction

Conjunctive adverb

New conjunctions are frequently being added to the English language.

True

False

The mnemonic FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) is to help you remember which of the following?

Correlative conjunction

Coordinating conjunction

Subordinating conjunction

Conjunctive adverb

What type of conjunction is "neither" and "nor" representing in the sentence: "I neither know nor care what happened to them"?

Coordinating conjunction

Conjunctive adverb

Correlative conjunction

Subordinating conjunction

Individuals with _______ present with agrammatical (telegraphic) speech and frequently omit conjunctions.

articulation disorders

voice disorders

nonfluent aphasia

fluent aphasia

It’s easier to recover meaning from coordinating conjunctions and harder from subordinating conjunctions.

True

False

Identify the preposition in the following sentence: "She walked through the park every morning."

morning

every

walked

through

In the sentence, "The meeting will be held at noon," which word functions as a preposition?

meeting

will

In the lyric, “I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet and lead her up the stairwell”, which word(s) function as prepositions? Select all that apply.

one

sweep

not

off

Which sentence contains a prepositional phrase?

The dog ran quickly.

My best friend is sleeping over.

My cat is resting on my lap.

I stood up and answered the question.

Which sentence contains a prepositional phrase?

I like to eat fruits and veggies.

I put on my coat and went hiking.

My coach said she believes in me.

I rushed home after class.

Which sentence features a preposition whose function is to show possession?

Those shoes are mine.

That is my shoe.

Do you have my other shoe?

That is one of my shoes.

Identify the preposition in this example: "We traveled across the country last summer."

across

summer

the

last

In the sentence, "She sat beside her friend during the movie," what is the function of the preposition(s)? Select all that apply.

relationship

possession

place

time

Identify the prepositional phrase(s) in the sentence, “Before the test, I looked up the answers I didn’t know.” Select all that apply.

didn’t know

looked up

up the answers

before the test

Roughly what percent of expressive words are prepositions?

10%

15%

20%