Question 1

A child who was amused that the words ice and mice are similar.The similarity is in terms of:

Accepted Answer

The similarity between ice and mice is in their sounds or phonemes, specifically in the initial consonant sound /aɪs/ and /maɪs/. Phonology is the study of speech sounds and their patterns, making it the best choice for this scenario. Semantics refer to the meaning of words, pragmatics relate to the use of language in context, and syntax pertains to the arrangement of words in a sentence.

Question 2

With respect to spoken language, semantics refers to:

Accepted Answer

Semantics specifically deals with the meaning of words and how they are used in language to communicate ideas, concepts, and emotions. It is concerned with the rules for communicating meaning, which includes the relationships between words, sentences, and contexts.

Question 3

The rules for communicating meaning are part of a language's:

Accepted Answer

Semantics is the branch of linguistics concerned with meaning, including the rules that govern the meaning of words and sentences in a language.

Question 4

With respect to spoken language, syntax refers to:

Accepted Answer

Syntax specifically refers to the rules for combining words to make grammatically correct and meaningful sentences in spoken or written language.

Question 5

The sentence "Heroically timid dreams danced off-key," is an example of a sentence in English that has:

Accepted Answer

The sentence has correct syntax, as the word order and grammatical structure are appropriate. However, the semantics, or meaning, is unclear and potentially contradictory. "Heroically timid" and "off-key dreams" seem to be contradictory phrases, making it difficult to understand the intended message.

Question 6

A child was amused that the sentences "Mommy gave Daddy a book" and "Mommy gave a book to Daddy" meant the same thing but had a different order of words.The difference is in terms of:

Accepted Answer

The difference between the two sentences is solely based on the order of the words, which is a part of syntax. Syntax refers to the set of rules that govern the arrangement of words in a sentence to convey meaning.

Question 7

A child who engages in word play and says things such as "stop, bop, rop, dop, clop, mop," but never says "sgap, tpir, or sbum," is demonstrating his or her knowledge of:

Accepted Answer

Phonology refers to the study of sounds and the rules for combining them to create words. The child's word play demonstrates an understanding of the sounds that can be combined to create words, which falls under the realm of phonology. Semantics deals with the meaning of words, pragmatics relates to the social use of language, and syntax involves the rules for combining words into sentences.

Question 8

The word "dzisiejszym" would be recognized as a foreign word by an English speaker because the word structure violates the rules of English:

Accepted Answer

The word "dzisiejszym" violates the rules of English phonology, which refers to the system of sounds in a language. English speakers might find the combination of consonants and the specific sounds in "dzisiejszym" unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce, indicating a phonological issue rather than syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning), or pragmatics (use of language in context).

Question 9

Last year five-year-old Katrina would say, "No he going," when she was explaining to her younger sister that the dog had to stay at home.Now, Katrina will tell her sister, "He's not going." This example illustrates that Katrina has made a gain in her use of:

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the rules governing word order and sentence structure in a language. Katrina's progress from "No he going" to "He's not going" shows a development in her understanding of the syntax of English. She has learned to use negation in a more appropriate place in the sentence, which is a syntactic rule of English. Phonology refers to the sound system of a language; semantics refers to the meaning of words and sentences; pragmatics refers to the appropriate use of language in social contexts. While Katrina's progress may involve some improvement in these areas as well, the specific gain highlighted in this example is primarily a syntactic one.

Question 10

When Emerson told his four-year-old sister that "I hit the bat that flew into the attic with my baseball bat," she was very confused and wondered how the long wooden stick that he often carries could possibly fly.When Emerson's sister is able to recognize that the word "bat" can have two different meanings, she will have made a gain in her understanding of:

Accepted Answer

Semantics refers to the meaning of words and how they relate to each other. When Emerson's sister realizes that "bat" can refer to both a flying mammal and a wooden stick used in sports, she has gained a better understanding of word meanings and their context.

Question 11

The word "ffyngoedd" would be recognized as a foreign word by an English speaker because the word structure violates the rules of English:

Accepted Answer

"Ffyngoedd" violates the phonological rules of English, as the combination of "ff" and "y" is not a common sound pattern in English. Phonology refers to the sound patterns of language.

Question 12

The sentence "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously," is an example of a sentence in English that has:

Accepted Answer

This sentence, coined by Noam Chomsky, is grammatically correct (correct syntax) but does not make logical sense (incorrect semantics).

Question 13

The rules for combining sounds to make words are part of a language's:

Accepted Answer

Phonology refers to the study of the sounds used in a language and the rules for combining them to form words. Syntax refers to the rules for arranging words into sentences, semantics refers to the meanings of words and how they are used, and pragmatics refers to the social context of language use.

Question 14

The Welsh language allows letter and sound sequences that English does not (e.g., drwy, llwytho).This represents a difference in the two languages':

Accepted Answer

The ability of the Welsh language to have letter and sound sequences that English does not have is related to its phonology, the study of the sound system of a language. Syntax refers to the way words are organized in a sentence, while semantics refers to the meanings of words and how they combine to create meaning. Pragmatics refers to the use of language in context and the social implications of language use.

Question 15

Last Halloween, four-year-old Clarice called the decorations at her house "punkins." This year, she is able to say "pumpkins" when she describes them.In this instance, Clarice has made a gain in her use of:

Accepted Answer

Clarice's improvement from saying "punkins" to "pumpkins" demonstrates a gain in phonology, which refers to the sound system of a language and includes the correct articulation of words.

Question 16

The sentence "The cautious the barked nasty at man poodle," would be difficult for an English speaker to understand because the structure violates the rules of English:

Accepted Answer

The sentence violates the rules of English syntax, or sentence structure. The adjective "cautious" is used incorrectly as an article, and the word order is confusing and incorrect.

Question 17

The rules for combining words to make sentences are part of a language's:

Accepted Answer

The rules for combining words to make sentences are part of syntax, which refers to the rules governing the structure of sentences and phrases in a language. Phonology is the study of the sound system of a language, semantics is concerned with the meaning of words and sentences, and pragmatics deals with language use in context.

Question 18

In one popular science fiction movie, the Jedi master uses sentences such as "When 900 years old you are, look so good you will not." When he speaks in this way, the Jedi master is able to convey meaning, but his sentences do not:

Accepted Answer

The Jedi master's sentences do not follow normal English syntax, as he uses a Yoda-speak where the object-subject-verb order is reversed.

Question 19

With respect to spoken language, phonology refers to:

Accepted Answer

Phonology refers to the rules for combining sounds to make words in spoken language. It includes the study of phonemes, the basic units of sound that distinguish one word from another in a language. Phonology also examines the rules for placing stress and intonation patterns on words and phrases, which contribute to the meaning of a sentence.

Question 20

Three-year-old Benjamin used to say "wadder" when he wanted his parents to get him a drink of water.Now, he is able to say "water" quite clearly.In this instance, Benjamin has made a gain in his use of:

Accepted Answer

Phonology refers to the sounds and sound patterns of language. Benjamin's improvement in saying "water" more clearly indicates a gain in his phonological abilities as he is producing the correct sounds to communicate what he wants.

Quiz 9: Language and Thought