Question 1

In every language,there are rules that determine how phonemes can be combined to create morphemes.These rules are called:

Accepted Answer

The rules that determine how phonemes can be combined to create morphemes are referred to as syntax. Semantics is the meaning behind language, mental representations refer to how language is stored in the brain, and motherese refers to the simplified language adults use when speaking to infants.

Question 2

The prefix "un" in the word "unusual" is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

The prefix "un" is a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning in language. Morphemes include prefixes, suffixes, and root words that can combine to create words with different meanings. In this case, the prefix "un" means "not" or "reverse of," so "unusual" means "not usual" or "reverse of usual."

Question 3

A morpheme is considered to be the smallest unit of _____________ in a language.

Accepted Answer

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language. It cannot be broken down into smaller units that have meaning. For example, in the word cats, the two morphemes are cat (referring to the animal) and the plural marker -s.

Question 4

In terms of the properties of languages,displacement is to symbolic as infinite is to ______________.

Accepted Answer

Displacement and symbolic are both properties of language, with displacement referring to the ability to talk about things that are not immediately present and symbolic referring to the use of arbitrary representations for ideas. Infinite, on the other hand, is a property of generative language, meaning that it has the capacity to produce an infinite number of sentences. Therefore, the best choice is D) generative.

Question 5

While playing one afternoon,a group of children decided to develop a special language only they would know.Jordan started working on the new symbols for their thoughts and behaviours.After writing quite an elaborate letter using his new symbols he gave it to the other children to try to decipher the message.To their dismay,the same symbols were used in very different ways and different symbols often represented the same idea.Jordan had violated one of the three critical properties of language because his language:

Accepted Answer

The language developed by Jordan did not have a rule-governed structure. As a result, different symbols were used in inconsistent ways and there was no clear system for assigning meaning to the symbols. This made it difficult for the other children to decipher the message, indicating that the language lacked consistency and structure.

Question 6

Consider the statement,"Last night,I shot an elephant in my pyjamas." Since this sentence has at least two different interpretations (the pyjamas could be worn by the man OR they could be worn by the elephant),this means that this sentence has:

Accepted Answer

The sentence has one surface structure but can be interpreted in two different ways, indicating two different deep structures.

Question 7

The following two sentences: "The cat was chased by the dog" and "The dog chased the cat,"

Accepted Answer

Both sentences are grammatically correct but have different word orders, which affects their surface structures. "The cat was chased by the dog" uses the passive voice, while "The dog chased the cat" uses the active voice. Both sentences convey the same meaning, but with different emphasis.

Question 8

One of the arguments for the biological basis of language is that despite their differences at the phonemic level,all languages seem to have a common underlying ____________.

Accepted Answer

The concept of deep structure refers to the underlying universal grammar that all languages share, despite their surface differences. This supports the argument for the biological basis of language, as it suggests that humans have an innate capacity for language acquisition. Surface structure refers to the specific arrangement of words and sounds in a particular language, and while there may be similarities between languages at this level, they are not necessarily indicative of a biological basis for language. Linguistic heuristic is not a recognized term in linguistics. Syntax is related to deep structure but only refers to the specific rules and structures for forming sentences within a particular language, not the underlying structure common to all languages.

Question 9

The surface structure of a language refers to the ways that symbols are combined within that language,while the underlying meaning of these combined symbols is considered _____________________.

Accepted Answer

The underlying meaning of combined symbols in a language is referred to as its "deep structure," which contrasts with the "surface structure" that deals with the combination of symbols themselves.

Question 10

A friend is trying to solve a problem and you have an idea about how to solve it.You translate your idea into words and tell the person your idea for solving the problem.You have transferred your idea from your mind to your friend's mind.In this example,your idea is considered an example of:

Accepted Answer

Your idea is a mental representation because it is a thought or image in your mind that you have communicated to your friend. Mental representations are the ways in which information is stored and understood in the mind, including ideas, concepts, and perceptions.

Question 11

Prior to 6 months of age,infants around the world are able to vocalize the phonemes of all languages,but at about 6 months of age they begin vocalizing _____________.

Accepted Answer

At about 6 months of age, infants around the world begin to vocalize only the phonemes associated with their native language. This is known as phonemic narrowing and it allows infants to better focus on the sounds of their specific language and prepare for language acquisition. Therefore, the correct option is D, which states that infants only vocalize the phonemes associated with their native language.

Question 12

All of the following were mentioned by the text as examples of mental representations EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The answer of All of the following were mentioned by...

Question 13

That fact that language-deprived children are generally unable to acquire normal language skills when they are found past puberty was presented as evidence of:

Accepted Answer

The fact that language-deprived children are unable to acquire normal language skills after puberty indicates that there is a sensitive period for language development, which emphasizes the importance of early exposure to language in order to develop normal language skills.

Question 14

The fact that children in all cultures are able to master the rules of language relatively early in life without formal instruction was discussed as evidence indicating that:

Accepted Answer

The fact that children in all cultures are able to master the rules of language relatively early in life without formal instruction suggests that language acquisition may have a biological basis, rather than being solely dependent on environmental factors or deductions made by the child.

Question 15

The term syntax refers to the rules that govern the organization of the surface structure of a language,while the rules that determine how symbols are connected to what they represent are referred to as _______________.

Accepted Answer

The rules that determine how symbols (such as words) are connected to what they represent (such as meanings) are referred to as semantics. Heuristics refer to problem-solving strategies, morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language, and phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language.

Question 16

Identify the deep structure in the statement,"That's like finding a needle in a haystack."

Accepted Answer

The deep structure in the statement is the idea that the task referred to is very difficult, as it compares it to finding a needle in a haystack.

Question 17

The three essential properties that define this ability are that it is symbolic,it has structure,and it is generative.This ability is:

Accepted Answer

The ability being described is language. It involves the use of symbols (words) to convey meaning, has a structure (grammar and syntax), and is generative (infinite combinations of words can be used to create new meanings and sentences). Hearing and touch are sensory abilities and not related to language. While intelligence can play a role in language ability, it is not a defining characteristic of language itself.

Question 18

The smallest unit of sound that can be distinctly recognized in a language is known as a:

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest units of sound that can be recognized in a language. They are the building blocks of spoken language and are used to distinguish meaning between words. For example, the phonemes /p/, /t/, and /k/ are used to distinguish between the words "pat," "tat," and "cat." Morphemes are the smallest meaningful units of language, while semantic units and propositions refer to larger units of meaning.

Question 19

You can readily use language to describe the features of a person that you know.This use of language demonstrates how language is symbolic and illustrates the linguistic feature of _____________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of You can readily use language to describe...

Question 20

Language can be used to create an infinite number of messages that can have novel or new meanings.This is quality of language is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The quality being described is the generative nature of language, meaning that it can create an infinite number of novel messages. The other options, although important qualities of language, do not capture this specific aspect of language. Symbolic refers to the fact that language uses symbols to represent objects, actions or concepts. Propositional refers to the fact that language can express propositions or statements that can be true or false. Structural refers to different structural aspects of language, such as grammar and syntax.

Quiz 9: Language and Thinking