Semantics and Pragmatics Review

What does semantics study?

• Language structure
• Meaning in language
• Sentence order
• Word pronunciation

Pragmatics is mainly concerned with:

• Word origins
• Language use in context
• Grammar structures
• Sentence forms

Which of the following best defines semantics?

• Study of sentence structure
• Study of how words sound
• Study of meaning
• Study of gestures

Pragmatics focuses on:

• Sentence grammar
• Speaker meaning and intention
• Word definitions
• Dictionary use

Which is an example of a pragmatic interpretation?

• The cat is on the mat.
• “It’s cold in here” meaning “Please close the window”
• Cold is a temperature.
• Cats are mammals.

An utterance is:

• A written sentence
• A part of speech
• A spoken expression in a specific context
• A grammatical rule

The difference between an utterance and a sentence is:

• They are the same
• Sentence is informal
• Utterance is context-bound, sentence is abstract
• Sentence is spoken only

Prosody refers to:

• Word spelling
• Rhythm, stress, and intonation in speech
• Grammatical structure
• Semantic roles

Which of the following is influenced by prosody?

• Verb tense
• Word meaning
• Speaker emotion
• Syntax tree

“I didn’t say she stole the money” can have different meanings based on:

• Syntax
• Semantics
• Prosody
• Reference