Free Printable Linguistics Quiz 1

1.

Linguistics is the ___________ study of language.

a)

social

b)

subjective

c)

scientific

d)

traditional

2.

Linguistics concerns itself with the study of

a. a particular language

b. language as a communication system

a)

both

b)

neither

c)

only a.

d)

only b.

3.

Linguistics is different from traditional grammar in that it is not

a)

descriptive

b)

prescriptive

c)

traditional

d)

accurate

4.

Linguists believe that

a)

speech preceded writing

b)

speech followed writing

c)

speech and writing developed simultaneously

d)

speech and writing had different origins

5.

The study of the speech sounds of a particular language is known as

a)

phonetics

b)

phonology

c)

phones

d)

phonemes

6.

Semantics is the study of

a)

word formation

b)

sentence structure

c)

meaning making

d)

correct pronunciation

7.

Bees buzz, snakes hiss, cows moo, cats meow.

The highlighted words are all examples of (a)

8.

According to linguists, the best language in the world is _________________

a)

English

b)

Tamil

c)

Sanskrit

d)

All

9.

Bees use the (a) dance to communicate among themselves.

10.

Cavemen have been known to use around ________ symbols in their cave drawings.

a)

30

b)

300

c)

3000

d)

30000

11.

This creature is referred to as

a. snake (English)

b. paambu (Tamil)

c. sarpa (Sanskrit)

d. saamp (Hindi)

These different names are possible because natural language is ______________.

a)

symbolic

b)

arbitrary

c)

displaced

d)

discrete

12.

Prakash bunked class to go to a movie. The next day when his teacher asked him why he had been absent, Prakash replied that he had been sick and had to go to the doctor. Prakash is able to speak of a non existent illness because language is

a)

arbitrary

b)

displaced

c)

discrete

d)

productive

13.

$a+p+l\ =\ apple$

$Apple\ \left(subject\right)\ +\ is\ a\ fruit\ \left(predicate\right)\ =\ Apple\ is\ a\ fruit.\ \left(Sentence\right)$

This illustrates _____________ feature of language.

a)

discreteness

b)

arbitrariness

c)

displacement

d)

duality

14.

Language is transmitted

a)

biologically

b)

mentally

c)

culturally

d)

genetically

15.

Historians reconstruct the past using language. Astronomers describe faraway stars, planets and galaxies using language. This is possible because of the _______________ feature of language.

a)

duality

b)

displacement

c)

arbitrariness

d)

symbolism

Linguistics Quiz 1

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 5mins

Similar Resources on Wayground