1. Which of the following is not true?
(A) Writing is crude representation of spoken language
(B) Writing contributes to the standardization of a language
(C) Without writing a language cannot survive
(D) Written form diminishes variations
Answer: (C)
2. Arrange the following items in a sequence of small to larger units and select the correct answer:
(A) Word, morpheme, sentence, phrase
(B) Sentence, word, phrase, morpheme
(C) Morpheme, word, phrase, sentence
(D) Phrase, morpheme, sentence, word
Answer: (C)
3. The book entitled “A Practical Introduction to Phonetics” is written by
(A) J. Laver
(B) J.C. Catford
(C) P. Ladefoged
(D) D. Abercrombie
Answer: (B)
4. A diphthong consists of
(A) Two vowels
(B) Two consonants
(C) A vowel changing in quality
(D) A vowel and a consonant
Answer: (C)
5. From the articulatory point of view the IPA symbol N indicates a
(A) Velar nasal
(B) Uvular nasal
(C) Palatal nasal
(D) Retroflex nasal
Answer: (B)
6. The initial sound of the English word ‘teeth’ is
(A) dental
(B) Retroflex
(C) palato-alveolar
(D) alveolar
Answer: (D)
7. Sounds having open approximation are
(A) Fricatives
(B) Stops
(C) Affricates
(D) resonants
Answer: (D)
8. Assertion I: In stress the laryngeal muscles are active.
Assertion II: In pitch the respiratory muscles are active.
Codes:
(A) Both (I) and (II) are false
(B) Both (I) and (II) are true
(C) (I) is true and (II) is false
(D) (I) is false and (II) is true
Answer: (A)
9. Neutralisation refers to
(A) Loss of a phoneme in the word final position.
(B) Loss of a consonant word medially.
(C) Loss of distinction between two phonemes in a particular environment.
(D) A process of sounds becoming distinctive
Answer: (C)
10. Consider the plural forms of the English words ‘cat’, ‘dog’ and ‘rose’ and say whether there is the existence of
(A) Phonologically conditioned variation
(B) Free variation
(C) Different morphemes
(D) Morphologically conditioned variation
Answer: (A)
11. The English word ‘me’ is an example of
(A) Empty morpheme
(B) Bound morpheme
(C) Discontinuous morpheme
(D) Portmanteau morpheme
Answer: (D)
12. The ‘–s’ in the English word ‘players’ represents a/an
(A) Inflectional suffix
(B) Derivational suffix
(C) Post-position
(D) circumfix
Answer: (A)
13. Assertion I: The English word ‘sing’ belongs to an open lexical content word class.
Assertion II: The English word ‘sing’ belongs to a closed function word class.
Codes:
(A) Both (I) and (II) are true.
(B) Both (I) and (II) are false.
(C) (I) is true and (II) is false.
(D) (I) is false and (II) is true.
Answer: (C)
14. The maxims of conversation in cooperative principles are introduced by
(A) Breal
(B) H.P. Grice
(C) Labov
(D) Roger Bell
Answer: (B)
15. Any property or quality connotated by a word, phrase or other symbol, contrasted to actual instances in the real world to which the term applies
(A) Intention
(B) Denotation
(C) Extension
(D) Conception
Answer: (A)
16. Based on the componential analysis identify the conceptual meaning of the word “boy”.
(A) [+ Human], [+ Male], [+Adult]
(B) [+ Human], [– Male], [+Adult]
(C) [+ Human], [+ Male], [–Adult]
(D) [+ Human], [– Male], [–Adult]
Answer: (C)
17. In which work Chomsky has originally introduced the semantically nonsensical sentence “colourless green ideas sleep furiously”?
(A) Logical structures of Linguistic Theory
(B) Current issues in linguistic theory
(C) Aspects of the theory of syntax
(D) Syntactic structures
Answer: (D)
18. Select the correct order of the books according to the year in which they were published.
(i) Semantics
(ii) Structural Semantics
(iii) Semantics Volume II
(iv) Semantic structures
(A) (ii), (iii), (i), (iv)
(B) (ii), (i), (iii), (iv)
(C) (i), (iii), (ii), (iv)
(D) (iv), (i), (ii), (iii)
Answer: (C)
19. What is the presupposition of the following conversation?
(i) John: Are you able to bring Harry along?
(ii) Peter: That will be splendid. On our way, we shall pick up the drinks.
(A) Both John and Peter know who Harry is.
(B) Both have an idea of the drinks
(C) They have the idea from where to bring them.
(D) They do not know Harry exactly.
Answer: (A)
20. Read the following conversation by X and Y.
X: My present situation is more of heaven on Earth.
Y: Indeed, but to think that time changes yesterday is amazing.
What conversational maxim is seemingly violated by X and Y?
(A) Maxim quality
(B) Maxim of manner
(C) Maxim of quantity
(D) Maxim of relation
Answer: (D)
21. Transformational Grammer is the theory of
(A) C.F. Hockett
(B) K.L. Pike
(C) Noam Chomsky
(D) E.A. Nida
Answer: (C)
22. Minimalist programme has ____levels of representation.
(A) One Word
(B) Two Word
(C) Three Word
(D) Four Word
Answer: (A)
23. The participants of the action are called
(A) Predicate
(B) Arguments
(C) Theme
(D) Goal
Answer: (B)
24. Theta theory assigns
(A) Subject
(B) Object
(C) Thematic roles
(D) Verb
Answer: (C)
25. Choose the correct year of publication of the book ‘Aspects of the theory of syntax’.
(A) 1964
(B) 1965
(C) 1957
(D) 1978
Answer: (B)
26. Assertion I: Polysemy refers to cases where a lexeme has more than one meaning.
Assertion II: Chip can mean a piece of wood, a food item or electronic circuit.
Codes:
(A) (I) is correct, but (II) is wrong.
(B) Both (I) and (II) are wrong.
(C) Both (I) and (II) are correct.
(D) (I) is wrong, but (II) is correct.
Answer: (C)
27. The linguistic convergence between and among typologically distinct languages is known as
(A) Sprachbund
(B) Aryanization
(C) Dravidization
(D) Genetically Related
Answer: (A)
28. The hierarchy of number of speakers recorded for the four dominant families of languages is
(A) Indo Aryan, Dravidian, Austro Asiatic, Tibeto Burman
(B) Indo Aryan, Dravidian, Tibeto Burman, Austro Asiatic
(C) Dravidian, Indo Aryan, Tibeto Burman, Austro Asiatic
(D) Austro Asiatic, Indo Aryan, Dravidian, Tibeto Burman
Answer: (A)
29. The official language of Meghalaya is
(A) War
(B) Mon-Khmer
(C) Khasi
(D) Nicrobarese
Answer: (C)
30. “Nihali” which has some 2000 speakers in the Indian State of Maharashtra is generally regarded as
(A) Creole
(B) Pidgin
(C) Isolate
(D) Artificial
Answer: (C)
31. Match the item in List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. Retroflexion i. Brahmi, Garo, Khasi, Assamee
b. Absence of Retroflexion ii. Hindi-Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil, Malyalam
c. Aspiration iii. Hindi-Urdu, Punjabi, Marathi
d. Loss of voiced Aspirates iv. Punjabi
Codes:
a b c d
(A) ii i iii iv
(B) i ii iv iii
(C) iv iii ii i
(D) iii iv i ii
Answer: (A)
32. Assertion I: All South Asian languages except a few are verb final languages.
Assertion II: “Khasi” is a verb medial language.
Codes:
(A) (I) is true and (II) is false.
(B) (I) is false and (II) is true.
(C) Both (I) and (II) are true.
(D) Both (I) and (II) are false.
Answer: (C)
33. The MIA geminates (– cc –) were reduced to single consonant;
(A) With compensatory lengthening of the proceeding vowel, with a few exceptions.
(B) Without compensatory lengthening of the proceeding vowel.
(C) With change of the vowel quality.
(D) Without change of the vowel quality.
Answer: (A)
34. Sound change in which a vowel is fronted under the influence of a following front vowel or glide is known as
(A) Assimilation
(B) Umlaut
(C) Palatalization
(D) Labialization
Answer: (C)
35. Match the items in List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. Aphaeresis i. Loss of one or more sounds from the interior of a word
b. Syncope ii. Loss of one or more sounds from the beginning of a word
c. Apocope iii. Loss of one or more sound from the end of a word
d. Haplology iv. Elimination of a syllable when two consecutive identical or similar syllabuses occur.
Codes:
a b c d
(A) ii i iii iv
(B) iii ii i iv
(C) iv i ii iii
(D) i ii iii iv
Answer: (A)
36. In a sound change whereby rearranging of sound or syllables in a word or of words in a sentence takes place is known as
(A) Assimilation
(B) Meta thesis
(C) Lenition
(D) Elision
Answer: (B)
37. Match the items in List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. Lenition i. Sound changes that alters consonant making them sonorous
b. Epenthesis ii. Addition of one or more sounds especially to the interior of a word
c. Elision iii. Omission of one or more sound in a word or phrase
d. Assimilation iv. A phonological process whereby one sound becomes more like a nearby sound
Codes:
a b c d
(A) i ii iii iv
(B) iv iii ii i
(C) iii ii i iv
(D) ii i iii iv
Answer: (A)
38. Match the items in List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. Linguistic change i. Language planning
b. Language in mind ii. Ethno linguistics
c. Language in culture iii. Historical linguistics
d. Conscious and deliberate change of language iv. Psycho linguistics
Codes:
a b c d
(A) iii iv i ii
(B) i iii iv ii
(C) ii iv iii i
(D) iv ii i iii
Answer: (Wrong question)
39. The term sometimes used for the high prestige variety is
(A) Dialect
(B) Acrolect
(C) Basilect
(D) Mesolect
Answer: (B)
40. Assertion (A): Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to society and culture.
Reason (R): Communicative competence and ethnography of communication which belong to sociolinguistics are similar notions.
Codes:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true.
(B) (A) is true, (R) is false.
(C) (A) is false, (R) is true.
(D) Both (A) and (R) are false.
Answer: (A)
41. Identify the odd item from the following list:
(A) Lexeme
(B) Word
(C) Morpheme
(D) Diglossia
Answer: (D)
42. The book ‘verbal behaviour’ was written by B.F. Skinner in the year of
(A) 1967
(B) 1957
(C) 1977
(D) 1947
Answer: (B)
43. Match the items in List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. Bell R. i. Sociolinguistics, 1974
b. Hudson R.A ii. Sociolinguistics, 1976
c. Pride J.B. and J. Holmes (eds) iii. Sociolinguistics, 1980
d. Trudgill. P. iv. Sociolinguistics, 1972
Codes:
a b c d
(A) i iv ii iii
(B) ii iii iv i
(C) iii ii iv i
(D) iv i ii iii
Answer: (B)
44. Match the items in List – I with those in List – II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. Logographic i. Morpheme/word
b. Alphabetic ii. Syllable
c. Syllabic iii. Sound
d. Pictographic iv. Picture
Codes:
a b c d
(A) ii i iv iii
(B) iv ii i iii
(C) i iii ii iv
(D) iii iv i ii
Answer: (C)
45. A satem language is
(A) Bulgarian
(B) Welsh
(C) Portuguese
(D) Flemish
Answer: (A)
46. When a message engages the addressee directly as illustrated in vocatives, and optatives, it is known as
(A) Conative function
(B) Emotive function
(C) Referential function
(D) Poetic function
Answer: (A)
47. Assertion I: The speech of a single individual is an idiolect.
Assertion II: Any regionally or socially distinct variety of a language is a dialect.
Codes:
(A) Both (I) and (II) are true.
(B) Both (I) and (II) are false.
(C) (I) is true and (II) is false.
(D) (I) is false and (II) is true.
Answer: (A)
48. Identify the odd one from the following:
(A) Pragmatics
(B) Semantics
(C) Clitics
(D) Semiotics
Answer: (C)
49. Study of the interpretation of sign is
(A) Emotive
(B) Semiotic
(C) Phatic
(D) Conative
Answer: (B)
50. Match the items in List – I with List – II and select the correct answer from the codes given below:
List – I List – II
a. with him i. nominative
b. he ii. sociative
c. his iii. dative
d. to whom iv. genitive
Codes:
a b c d
(A) ii iv iii i
(B) iv ii i iii
(C) ii i iv iii
(D) i iii iv ii
Answer: (C)