Teaching English Grammar (Terminology) Quiz 1

What is the term for language used to discuss or describe language itself?

• Pragmatics
  

• Metalanguage

• Syntax

• Phonetics

Which of the following refers to the basic building blocks of a sentence, such as subjects, verbs, and objects?

• Morphemes
  

• Constituents

• Phonemes

• Semantics

What do we call modifiers placed before a noun that provide additional information? (e.g. the beautiful small black purse)

• Postnominal Modifiers
  

• Constituents

• Pronouns

• Prenominal Modifiers

How do we call verbs that can be both transitive and intransitive?

• Ergative

• Dymanic

• Stative

• Prenominal

The study of meaning in language is known as:

• Semantics

• Morphology

• Pragmatics

• Syntax

What are words like "the," "a," and "an" called in grammar?

• Demonstrative Pronouns

• Possessive pronouns

• Determiners

• Adjectives

The semantic point of departure of a clause (or more broadly, discourse) about which some information is.

• Theme

• Rheme

The destination where the presentation moves after the departure point.

• Theme

• Rheme

A level of linguistic structure where lexis, or vocabulary, and grammar, or syntax, combine into one.

• Semiotics

• Lexicogrammar

• Phonology

• Morphology

A type of semantic change by which (a) a lexical item or construction changes into one that serves a grammatical function, or (b) a grammatical item develops a new grammatical function.

• Syntaxization

• Lexicalization

• Grammaticization

• Morphologization