📘 MAELS Reviewer – Set A

Which of the following best reflects Chomsky’s concept of “competence”?

• Fluency in speech

• Ability to use appropriate language

• Knowledge of grammatical rules

• Understanding language in cultural context

Which linguistic level analyzes the smallest unit of sound?

• Morphology

• Syntax

• Phonology

• Semantics

The phrase “colorless green ideas sleep furiously” is used to illustrate:

• Ambiguity in semantics

• Syntactic correctness without semantic sense

• Morphological anomaly

• Pragmatic appropriateness

Which of the following is a derivational morpheme?

• -s (as in cats)

• -ed (as in walked)

• un- (as in unclear)

• -ing (as in running)

In sociolinguistics, code-switching refers to:

• Changing topic in a conversation

• Mixing two languages in a single discourse

• Speaking in a formal tone

• Correcting someone’s grammar

Which is not part of Halliday’s metafunctions?

• Ideational

• Interpersonal

• Textual

• Referential

“Langue” and “parole” are linguistic terms introduced by:

• Noam Chomsky

• Ferdinand de Saussure

• Michael Halliday

• Dell Hymes

Which sentence best reflects deep structure in transformational grammar?

• The cake was eaten by Mary.

• Mary ate the cake.

• Did Mary eat the cake?

• The cake, Mary ate.

Pragmatics primarily deals with:

• Word formation

• Context and meaning

• Sentence structure

• Speech rhythm

Which of the following is an example of a phatic function?

• “Wow, that’s amazing!”

• “Can you pass the salt?”

• “Hello, can you hear me?”

• “The earth revolves around the sun.”