Semantics
Test 1
- Antonyms such as 'small-big, happy-sad, quick-slow, short-long' are different from the sets such as 'dead-alive, above-below, female-male. ' The former are called .......... and the latter .......... antonyms.
- Correct Answer: a. gradable-nongradable
- Explanation:
- Gradable antonyms represent qualities that can exist in varying degrees. For example, something can be "very small" or "somewhat big."
- Nongradable antonyms represent absolute opposites where there is no middle ground. Something is either "dead" or "alive," not partially one or the other.
Test 2
- The lexical relation between 'table' and 'furniture' is ........... the relation between ..........
- Correct Answer: d. the same as/'rose' and 'flower'
- Explanation:
- Both pairs demonstrate a hyponymy relationship.
- Hyponymy refers to a semantic relationship where the meaning of one word (hyponym) is included in the meaning of another (hypernym).
- "Table" is a type of "furniture," and "rose" is a type of "flower."
Test 3
- When the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another, the relationship is described as ...........
- Correct Answer: c. hyponymy
- Explanation: As explained in the previous answer, hyponymy describes this inclusion of meaning.
Test 4
- The lexical items 'clever' and 'stupid' are ...........
- Correct Answer: b. contradictory
- Explanation:
- Contradictory antonyms are absolute opposites where the assertion of one necessarily negates the other. If someone is "clever," they cannot be "stupid."
Test 5
- The words 'meat' and 'meet' have the same pronunciation but have different meanings. This is a case of ...........
- Correct Answer: b. homophony
- Explanation:
- Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
- The sentence, "The fish told me the truth," is ...........
- Correct Answer: c. semantically odd but syntactically well-formed
- Explanation:
- The sentence is grammatically correct (syntactically well-formed) but semantically odd because fish are not typically considered capable of speech.
- The sentence, "My cat realizes that I'm an honest man." is ...........
- Correct Answer: a. propositionally unacceptable
- Explanation:
- Propositional acceptability refers to whether a sentence makes sense in the real world. While grammatically correct, the sentence is unlikely to be true in reality as cats generally lack the cognitive ability to understand human concepts like honesty.
- The basic essential components which are conveyed by the literal use of a word cover the .......... meaning.
- Correct Answer: a. conceptual
- Explanation:
- Conceptual meaning refers to the core, dictionary-like definition of a word, independent of any specific context or cultural associations.
- Which of the following sentences has lexical ambiguity?
- Correct Answer: b. The shooting of the hunters was terrible
- Explanation:
- Lexical ambiguity arises when a word can have multiple meanings within the same sentence. In this case, "shooting" could refer to
- the act of firing a gun, or
- the act of photographing.
- This ambiguity makes it unclear whether the hunters were being shot at or photographed.
- The expression "bark" (of a dog vs. of a tree) is a case of ...........
- Correct Answer: c. polysemy
- Explanation:
- Polysemy refers to a single word having multiple related meanings. "Bark" refers to the sound a dog makes and the outer layer of a tree, both related to the concept of a protective covering.
- The basic essential components which are conveyed by the literal use of a word cover the .......... meaning.
- Correct Answer: a. conceptual
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 8 in Test d. The correct answer is conceptual meaning.
- The sentence, "My cat realizes that I'm an honest man," is ...........
- Correct Answer: a. propositionally unacceptable
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 7 in Test c. The correct answer is propositionally unacceptable.
- Consider the two sentences: a)Even Parvin could swim the length of this pool, and b)Parvin could swim the length of even this pool. Which theory of semantics can account for correct assignment of meaning for the two sentences?
- Correct Answer: c. Generative Semantics
- Explanation:
- Generative Semantics is a theory that emphasizes the role of deep structures and underlying semantic representations in determining sentence meaning. It can better account for subtle differences in meaning arising from the placement of adverbs like "even."
- The type of sense-relation between the lexical items "buy" and "sell" is similar to that of ...........
- Correct Answer: b. “dead” and “alive”
- Explanation:
- "Buy" and "sell" are converse antonyms. They describe the same situation from opposite perspectives. Similarly, "dead" and "alive" are absolute opposites.
- The word "spring" beside meaning, “the first season of the year,” means “beautiful flowers and rains.” This type of meaning is called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. associative meaning
- Explanation:
- Associative meaning refers to the cultural or emotional connotations associated with a word, beyond its literal definition.
- Which of the given pairs of words is identical to the pair, “single-married” in terms f the lexical relation between them?
- Correct Answer: a. “dead-alive”
- Explanation:
- "Single" and "married" are complementary antonyms - they are mutually exclusive and cover all possibilities. "Dead" and "alive" also represent this absolute opposition.
- The relationship between "advise” and “advisor” is ...........
- Correct Answer: d. a derivation with phonological, grammatical and semantic changes
- Explanation:
- Derivation is the process of creating new words from existing ones. In this case:
- Phonological: The suffix "-or" is added.
- Grammatical: The word changes from a verb ("advise") to a noun ("advisor").
- Semantic: The meaning shifts from the act of giving advice to the person who gives advice.
- The two sentences which have exactly the same set of entailments may be said to be .......... of each other.
- Correct Answer: c. paraphrases
- Explanation:
- Paraphrases are different ways of expressing the same meaning. If two sentences have identical entailments (logical consequences), they essentially convey the same information.
- The following sentences are ungrammatical: I am knowing him. He is concerning my case. The reason is that the verbs involved are ...........
- Correct Answer: d. static
- Explanation:
- Static verbs describe states or conditions that are unchanging. Verbs like "know" and "concern" typically express states, and they cannot be used in progressive forms (e.g., "am knowing," "is concerning").
- The relationship between 'melted' and 'melt' is similar to the one between .......... and ...........
- Correct Answer: b. flatten and flattened
- Explanation:
- "Melted" and "melt" demonstrate a past participle relationship. Similarly, "flattened" is the past participle of "flatten."
- The semantic relationship between "educational establishment" and "primary school" is not dissimilar from the relationship between ........... and ……….
- Correct Answer: d. rose/flower
- Explanation:
- This demonstrates a hyponymy relationship. "Primary school" is a type of "educational establishment," just as "rose" is a type of "flower."
- A lexical entry is a ...........
- Correct Answer: d. word in a dictionary
- Explanation:
- A lexical entry is a unit of information in a dictionary or lexicon that provides details about a word, including its meaning, pronunciation, part of speech, and other relevant information.
- The forms "know" and "no" are examples of ...........
- Correct Answer: b. homophones
- Explanation:
- "Know" and "no" sound the same but have different meanings and spellings, making them homophones.
- The lexical relationship between "furniture” and “chair" is similar to the one between ........... and ……….
- Correct Answer: b. “college” / “educational establishment”
- Explanation:
- This demonstrates a hyponymy relationship. "Chair" is a type of "furniture," and "college" is a type of "educational establishment."
- Any string of words for which the meaning of the whole expression cannot be determined form the meanings of the individual morphemes that make up the string is called a(n) ...........
- Correct Answer: d. idiom
- Explanation:
- An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words. For example, "to kick the bucket" means "to die."
Test 26
- Expression that attribute qualities to an object not normally associated with those qualities are called ...........
- Correct Answer: c. metaphors
- Explanation:
- Metaphors are figures of speech that make an implicit comparison between two unlike things. They attribute qualities of one thing to another, often in a creative or imaginative way. For example, "Time is money."
Test 27
- The words "mouth" in "mouth of the river" and “a man's mouth” would present an example of ..........
- Correct Answer: d. polysemy
- Explanation:
- Polysemy refers to a single word having multiple related meanings. In this case, "mouth" refers to:
- The opening of a river where it flows into a larger body of water.
- The opening in the face of a human or animal for eating and speaking.
Test 28
- Which one of the given pairs of words is identical to the pair ‘single-married’ in terms of the lexical relation between them?
- Correct Answer: a. dead - alive
- Explanation:
- "Single" and "married" are complementary antonyms - they are mutually exclusive and cover all possibilities. "Dead" and "alive" also represent this absolute opposition.
Test 29
- The terms banyan' andpine' which share the same higher-up term such as `tree' in a hierarchical diagram are ..........
- Correct Answer: b. co-hyponyms
- Explanation:
- Co-hyponyms are words that share the same hypernym (a higher-level term). In this case, "banyan" and "pine" are both types of "trees."
Test 30
- Which of the following pairs is called hyponymy?
- Correct Answer: b. daffodil-flower
- Explanation:
- Hyponymy describes the relationship where the meaning of one word (hyponym) is included in the meaning of another (hypernym). "Daffodil" is a type of "flower."
Test 31
- The word ' mouth ' in "mouth of the river" and 'Ali's mouth' would constitute an instance of ..........
- Correct Answer: d. polysemy
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 27. The correct answer is polysemy.
Test 32
- The sense-relation between "single-married" is similar to the one between ..........
- Correct Answer: d. pass-fail
- Explanation:
- "Single" and "married" are complementary antonyms. Similarly, "pass" and "fail" are mutually exclusive and cover all possibilities in an exam context.
Test 33
- Which one of the following sense-relations is NOT similar to the one between “dinner-meal”?
- Correct Answer: a. steal-take
- Explanation:
- "Dinner" is a type of "meal" (hyponymy).
- "Sardine" is a type of "fish" (hyponymy).
- "Yellow" is a type of "color" (hyponymy).
- "Carrot" is a type of "vegetable" (hyponymy).
- "Steal" and "take" are not in a hyponymic relationship. "Steal" implies taking something without permission.
Test 34
- “Summer means picnics by the lake”. The type of meaning involved is .......... meaning
- Correct Answer: b. associative
- Explanation:
- Associative meaning refers to the cultural or emotional connotations associated with a word, beyond its literal definition. "Summer" evokes images and feelings of picnics, relaxation, and enjoyment.
Test 35
- An example of two words which are similar in meaning but with restrictions in geographical distribution is .......... and .......... in American English and British English respectively.
- Correct Answer: a. gas/petrol
- Explanation:
- "Gas" and "petrol" both refer to the fuel used in vehicles, but their usage varies geographically. "Gas" is more common in American English, while "petrol" is more common in British English.
Test 36
- The expression “mouth ( of a river vs of an animal) is a case of ..........
- Correct Answer: c. polysemy
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 27 and 31. The correct answer is polysemy.
Test 37
- What is the lexical relation between the following pairs of words?
- Correct Answer: d. converseness
- Explanation:
- Converseness describes a reciprocal relationship between two words. For example, "teacher" and "student," "buy" and "sell," "parent" and "child."
Test 38
- The following piece of language is .......... ill-formed: “Mina is my friend. He is a nice man.”
- Correct Answer: d. semantically
- Explanation:
- The sentence is grammatically correct but semantically odd. If "Mina" is a girl's name, using the pronoun "he" to refer to her is semantically inappropriate.
Test 39
- The projection rules of the semantic component use .......... to derive the meaning of the sentence.
- Correct Answer: a. both lexical and structural information
- Explanation:
- Projection rules in semantics combine the meanings of individual words (lexical information) with the grammatical structure of the sentence to determine the overall meaning.
Test 40
- Which of the following is true?
- Correct Answer: d. Simple words may be semantically complex.
- Explanation:
- Even simple words can have multiple meanings, subtle shades of meaning, or complex relationships with other words.
Test 41
- From the pairs of antonyms such as 'high/low' and 'tall/short', the one which is used in questions of degree, 'Haw high is it?",for instance, is referred to as the ··········· member.
- Correct Answer: d. unmarked
- Explanation:
- In a pair of antonyms, the unmarked member is the more general and neutral term, often used in questions of degree. "High" is more unmarked than "low" because we can ask "How high is it?" but not typically "How low is it?"
Test 42
- Which of the following pairs of adjectives are NOT complementary antonyms?
- Correct Answer: b. happy / sad
- Explanation:
- Complementary antonyms are mutually exclusive and cover all possibilities. "Happy" and "sad" are not complementary because there are other emotional states besides those two.
Test 43
- Generative semantics accounts for meaning through...........
- Correct Answer: c. the deep logical structure directly
- Explanation:
- Generative Semantics posits that the underlying meaning of a sentence is represented by a deep logical structure, and this structure directly determines the surface form.
Test 44
- The ungrammaticality of the sentence "John put the meat," can be explained on the basis of ...........
- Correct Answer: d. selection restriction
- Explanation:
- Selection restrictions are constraints on the types of arguments that a verb or other lexical item can take. The verb "put" typically requires a prepositional phrase specifying the location where something is put (e.g., "John put the meat on the table").
Test 45
- It is true that in generative semantics ...........
- Correct Answer: d. logical structure is sometimes referred to as deep structure
- Explanation:
- In Generative Semantics, the deep structure that directly represents meaning is often equated with the logical structure.
Test 46
- The pair "fast/slow" ...........
- Correct Answer: d. is made up of two words having relative meaning
- Explanation:
- "Fast" and "slow" are gradable antonyms that represent qualities that can exist in varying degrees. They are relative terms, meaning something is fast or slow in relation to something else.
Certainly, let's continue analyzing the remaining multiple-choice questions on semantics in linguistics.
Test 47
- The rule [+human] --> [+animate] ...........
- Correct Answer: a. exemplifies a redundancy rule
- Explanation:
- Redundancy rules capture the fact that certain features are predictable from others. If something is [+human], it must also be [+animate], as humans are living beings.
Test 48
- The relationship between "Tom dropped the teapot" and "The teapot dropped" is best explained by ...........
- Correct Answer: a. entailment
- Explanation:
- Entailment refers to a logical relationship between two sentences where the truth of one sentence necessarily implies the truth of the other. If "Tom dropped the teapot," it logically follows that "The teapot dropped."
Test 49
- The features of "female" and "young" show that girl...........
- Correct Answer: b. is in an intersecting class
- Explanation:
- Intersecting classes are sets that share some but not all members. "Girl" is a subset of both "female" and "young" but does not include all females or all young people.
Test 50
- The words son and daughter ...........
- Correct Answer: c. share the same superordinate terms
- Explanation:
- "Son" and "daughter" are both co-hyponyms of the hypernym "child." They share the same higher-level term in the semantic hierarchy.
Test 51
- The sentence "A man is at the door who looks like your father" is an example of ...........
- Correct Answer: b. nonlinear compositionality
- Explanation:
- Nonlinear compositionality refers to cases where the meaning of a sentence cannot be directly derived by simply combining the meanings of its individual parts in a linear order. In this sentence, the relative clause "who looks like your father" modifies "man" but is not directly adjacent to it.
Test 52
- Noncompositional meaning ..........
- Correct Answer: b. is represented in "face the music"
- Explanation:
- Noncompositional meaning cannot be understood by simply analyzing the literal meanings of the individual words. Idioms like "face the music" are prime examples. The overall meaning of the phrase is not the sum of the meanings of "face" and "music."
Test 53
- "There was a mole in the room.' This sentence exemplifies ..........
- Correct Answer: d. structural ambiguity
- Explanation:
- Structural ambiguity arises when a sentence can have multiple interpretations due to its grammatical structure. In this case, "mole" could refer to
- a small burrowing mammal, or
- a spy.
- The ambiguity lies in how the phrase "in the room" is interpreted.
Test 54
- The “buy” and “sell,” the type of sense relation is similar to ..........
- Correct Answer: d. animal and dig
- Explanation:
- "Buy" and "sell" are converse antonyms. They describe the same situation from opposite perspectives. Similarly, "animal" and "dig" are related through the agent-action relationship.
Test 55
- The standard theory of interpretive semantics hypothesizes that semantic interpretation ..........
- Correct Answer: a. occurs at the level of surface structure
- Explanation:
- Interpretive Semantics proposes that the meaning of a sentence is determined by applying semantic rules directly to the surface structure of the sentence.
Test 56
- The relationship of two words in which the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another is called ..........
- Correct Answer: d. hyponymy
- Explanation:
- Hyponymy describes this inclusion of meaning. For example, "dog" is a hyponym of "animal" because the meaning of "dog" is included within the broader meaning of "animal."
Test 57
- The lexical relation between apple and fruit is the same as the relation between ..........
- Correct Answer: b. ant and insect
- Explanation:
- Both pairs demonstrate a hyponymy relationship. "Apple" is a type of "fruit," and "ant" is a type of "insect."
Test 58
- Conversational principles include all but one of the following ..........
- Correct Answer: d. the speaker should repeat some parts of his important sentences
- Explanation:
- Conversational principles, such as Grice's maxims, guide effective communication. They include:
- Relevance: What is said should be relevant to the topic and situation.
- Quality: Speakers should be sincere and tell the truth.
- Quantity: An appropriate amount of information should be conveyed.
Test 59
- The English word "gas," "ad," and "plane" are examples of ..........
- Correct Answer: d. clipping
- Explanation:
- Clipping is a word-formation process where a shorter form of a word is created by deleting a part of the original word. "Gas" is from "gasoline," "ad" is from "advertisement," and "plane" is from "aeroplane."
Test 60
- Which of the following words exemplifies polysemy?
- Correct Answer: a. bank
- Explanation:
- Polysemy refers to a single word having multiple related meanings. "Bank" can refer to
- the side of a river, or
- a financial institution.
Test 61
- The addition of a sound to the beginning of a word is called ......,.... .
- Correct Answer: b. prothesis
- Explanation:
- Prothesis is the addition of a sound at the beginning of a word.
Test 62
- Death can lead to major ........... effects on the use of names. Often the names of the deed are not to be uttered though this may well be out of fear rather than respect.
- Correct Answer: a. taboo
- Explanation:
- Taboo refers to social or religious customs that prohibit or forbid certain actions or words. In this case, the taboo relates to the avoidance of uttering the names of the deceased.
Test 63
- The English word ‘read’ could be pronounced as [rid], the present tense form, or [red] the past tense form. A single spelling of with two or more meanings is called a ……….
- Correct Answer: b. homograph
- Explanation:
- Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings.
Test 64
- Ali: I am impatiently waiting for the summer to come. Parviz: That reminds me ‘picnics by the lakes’. In this dialogue, the word ‘summer’ means ‘picnics by the lake’. This is a case of ………. meaning
- Correct Answer: c. associative
- Explanation:
- Associative meaning refers to the cultural or emotional connotations associated with a word, beyond its literal definition. "Summer" evokes images and feelings of picnics, relaxation, and enjoyment.
Test 65
- .......... results from adding up or relating the meanings of morphemes and words within their phrases, and adding up or relating the phrases, phrase by phrase.
- Correct Answer: a. Compositional meaning
- Explanation:
- Compositional meaning is the meaning of a phrase or sentence that can be derived by combining the meanings of its individual parts according to the grammatical rules of the language.
Test 66
- Idioms are phrases which have ..........
- Correct Answer: c. noncompositional meanings
- Explanation:
- Idioms are phrases whose overall meaning cannot be understood by simply analyzing the literal meanings of the individual words.
Test 67
- The farmer heard the bird's song. The semantic role of the farmer is ..........
- Correct Answer: b. experiencer
- Explanation:
- Experiencer refers to the entity that perceives or experiences something. In this sentence, the farmer is the one who hears the bird's song.
Test 68
- Verbs 'open', 'eat', and 'fill’ share the semantic roles of ..........
- Correct Answer: b. patient and agent
- Explanation:
- These verbs typically involve an agent (the one performing the action) and a patient (the entity that undergoes the action).
- In "open," the agent opens something (patient).
- In "eat," the agent eats something (patient).
- In "fill," the agent fills something (patient).
Test 69
- A ball-sized egg develops into an ostrich. 'Egg' has a semantic role of ..........
- Correct Answer: c. source
- Explanation:
- Source refers to the origin or starting point of something. In this case, the egg is the source from which the ostrich develops.
Test 70
- The teacher told the kids a story. 'Tel1' is ..........
- Correct Answer: d. give-type verb
- Explanation:
- Give-type verbs involve the transfer of something from one entity to another. In "tell," the teacher transfers information (the story) to the kids.
Test 71
- 'I hope he will recover.’ The proposition 'I hope ..........’ is a .......... proposition.
- Correct Answer: d. volitional orientor
- Explanation:
- Volitional orientor propositions express desires or hopes for the future. "I hope" indicates a desire for a particular outcome.
Test 72
- Both 'father' and 'daddy' mean 'father' but, in contrast, 'father' has a/an .......... of respect.
- Correct Answer: b. connotation
- Explanation:
- Connotation refers to the cultural or emotional associations connected to a word, beyond its literal meaning. "Father" may have a more formal or respectful connotation compared to "daddy," which is often used in a more informal or affectionate way.
Test 73
- A list of the other words with which a word may occur is called ..........
- Correct Answer: c. collocational range
- Explanation:
- Collocational range refers to the set of words that are typically used in combination with a particular word. For example, "strong" collocates with words like "coffee," "wind," and "opinion."
Test 74
- .......... is the relation between language and its context of use and the study of this relation.
- Correct Answer: c. pragmatics
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics is the branch of linguistics that studies how language is used in real-world contexts, considering factors like social norms, speaker intentions, and the impact of language on the listener.
Test 75
- A .......... is single spelling with two or more meanings.
- Correct Answer: b. homograph
- Explanation:
- Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings.
Test 76
- .......... are morphemes with variable referential meanings, whose specific reference vary with each context of their use.
- Correct Answer: c. Deictics
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions (such as pronouns, demonstratives, and adverbs of time and place) derive their meaning from the context in which they are used. For example, "here," "there," "this," "that," "now," "then," "I," "you," "he," "she" all have meanings that depend on who is speaking, when they are speaking, and where they are speaking.
Test 77
- 'Can you lend me some bread?' ‘bread' substitutes for money. This is a case of ..........
- Correct Answer: b. metonymy
- Explanation:
- Metonymy is a figure of speech where one word is used to represent another word that is closely associated with it. In this case, "bread" is used to represent "money" because bread is a basic necessity that can be used to acquire other goods.
Test 78
- This is a type of metaphor, in which human characteristics are attributed to something non-human, which shows similar characteristics.
- Correct Answer: d. personification
- Explanation:
- Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities (such as emotions, actions, or sensations) are given to non-human entities (like animals, objects, or ideas). For example, "The wind howled."
Test 79
- That's cute! (said of something not cute at ala. This is a type of ..........
- Correct Answer: d. irony
- Explanation:
- Irony involves a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. In this case, saying "That's cute!" sarcastically to something that is not cute is a form of verbal irony.
Test 80
- Be informative, say neither too much nor too little, otherwise the maxim of .......... has been violated.
- Correct Answer: c. quantity
- Explanation:
- Grice's Maxim of Quantity states that one should be as informative as is required for the current purpose of the exchange, but no more informative than is required.
Test 81
- Principles of language, valid for all languages, reasonably concern features which are essential for the function and / or structure of language.
- Correct Answer: a. language universals
- Explanation:
- Language universals are linguistic features that are believed to be shared by all human languages. They reflect fundamental aspects of human cognition and communication.
Test 82
- Take the following sentences into consideration: Ali: I apologize for all my misbehaviours. Minister: I pronounce you husband and wife. Sentence 1 and 2 are .......... sentences.
- Correct Answer: b. performative
- Explanation:
- Performative utterances are not simply statements of fact but actions themselves. When the minister says "I pronounce you husband and wife," they are not merely describing a state but performing the act of marrying the couple.
Test 83
- John dropped Bill. Bill fell. Sentence 1 .......... sentence 2.
- Correct Answer: d. entails
- Explanation:
- Entailment is a logical relationship between two sentences where the truth of one sentence necessarily implies the truth of the other. If "John dropped Bill," it logically follows that "Bill fell."
Test 84
- When a sign has actual characteristics of its meaning, it is said to be ..........
- Correct Answer: a. iconic
- Explanation:
- Iconic signs resemble the objects or concepts they represent. For example, a photograph is an iconic representation of a person.
Test 85
- Compare the following sentences: a)How far is Isfahan from Tehran? b) How small is your apartment?
- Correct Answer: d. Sentence 'a' is unmarked but sentence 'b' is marked.
- Explanation:
- In a pair of antonyms (like "big"/"small" or "far"/"near"), the unmarked member is generally considered more neutral and is used more frequently in questions of degree.
Test 86
- Although John forgave his friend, he is still unhappy with him. The sentence consists of .......... proposition(s).
- Correct Answer: b. two
- Explanation:
- The sentence contains two distinct propositions:
- "John forgave his friend."
- "He is still unhappy with him."
Test 87
- Compare the following sentences: a) My book has been torn up by someone. b) My book has not been torn up by anyone. What the two sentences share is ..........
- Correct Answer: a. presupposition
- Explanation:
- Both sentences presuppose that "My book has been torn up." This information is taken for granted as background knowledge in both cases.
Test 88
- The word "spring" besides meaning "the first season of the year" means "beautiful flowers and rains. " This type of meaning is called ...........
- Correct Answer: d. associative meaning
- Explanation:
- Associative meaning refers to the cultural or emotional connotations associated with a word, beyond its literal definition. "Spring" evokes images and feelings of flowers and rain.
Test 89
- The words "meat” and "meet" have .......... relations.
- Correct Answer: d. homophony
- Explanation:
- Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
Test 90
- Words which are written in the same way and sound alike but have different meanings are called ...........
- Correct Answer: c. homonyms
- Explanation:
- Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings.
Test 91
- The pair "meat meet" is an example of ...........
- Correct Answer: a. homophony
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 89. The correct answer is homophony.
Test 92
- When the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another, the relationship is described as ...........
- Correct Answer: d. hyponymy
- Explanation:
- Hyponymy describes this inclusion of meaning. For example, "dog" is a hyponym of "animal" because the meaning of "dog" is included within the broader meaning of "animal."
Test 93
- "Lexical meaning" is what we commonly consider the .......... meaning of words.
- Correct Answer: d. dictionary
- Explanation:
- Lexical meaning refers to the core, dictionary-like definition of a word, independent of any specific context or cultural associations.
Test 94
- The word "lie" in the sentences "You have to lie down" and "Do not lie, tell the truth," represents an example of ...........
- Correct Answer: c. homonymy
- Explanation:
- In this case, "lie" has two distinct and unrelated meanings, making them different homonyms.
Test 95
- Which of the following pairs represents an example for gradable antonyms?
- Correct Answer: a. short tall
- Explanation:
- Gradable antonyms represent qualities that can exist in varying degrees. For example, something can be "very short" or "somewhat tall."
Test 96
- The relationship between "carrot" and "vegetable" is a matter of ...........
- Correct Answer: a. hyponymy
- Explanation:
- "Carrot" is a type of "vegetable," demonstrating a hyponymy relationship.
Test 97
- Words with different meanings but having the same spelling and sometimes different pronunciations are called ...........
- Correct Answer: a. homographs
- Explanation:
- Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings.
Test 98
- Two words that share all but one of their semantic features in common are called ...........
- Correct Answer: a. antonyms
- Explanation:
- Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.
Test 99
- The lexical relationship between the words "elephant" and "mouse" is that of ...........
- Correct Answer: b. co-hyponymy
- Explanation:
- "Elephant" and "mouse" are both co-hyponyms of the hypernym "animal." They share the same higher-level term in the semantic hierarchy.
Test 100
- A .......... of a word in one language is a word in another language which has a similar form and is or was used with a similar meaning.
- Correct Answer: b. cognate
- Explanation:
- Cognates are words in different languages that have a common origin and often show similarities in form and meaning.
Test 101
- The information obtained through the study of cognate sets is usually used in ...........
- Correct Answer: c. comparative reconstruction procedures
- Explanation:
- Cognate sets are groups of words in different languages that share a common origin and often show similarities in form and meaning. By studying cognates, linguists can reconstruct the history of languages and trace their relationships to each other. This process is called comparative reconstruction.
Test 102
- The words are .......... if they share the same set of semantic features.
- Correct Answer: c. synonyms
- Explanation:
- Synonyms are words that have the same or very similar meanings. If two words share the same set of semantic features, they are likely to be synonyms.
Test 103
- The sentence "My carpet sleeps furiously, " is ...........
- Correct Answer: b. locally unsemantic
- Explanation:
- Locally unsemantic sentences are grammatically correct but violate semantic rules. In this case, the sentence is grammatically well-formed but semantically odd because carpets cannot "sleep" or perform any actions.
Test 104
- When linguists investigate the meaning of words in a language, they are normally interested in characterizing the .......... meaning.
- Correct Answer: b. conceptual
- Explanation:
- Conceptual meaning refers to the core, dictionary-like definition of a word, independent of any specific context or cultural associations.
Test 105
- .......... features are the basic features involved in differentiating the meanings of each word in the language from every other word.
- Correct Answer: c. Semantic
- Explanation:
- Semantic features are the underlying components of meaning that distinguish one word from another. These features can be used to define the meaning of a word and its relationships with other words.
Test 106
- The term “ ..........” refers to a sentence or a type of sentence which may have two or more meanings.
- Correct Answer: c. ambiguity
- Explanation:
- Ambiguity arises when a sentence can have multiple interpretations due to its grammatical structure or the multiple meanings of words within it.
Test 107
- The sentence , "The hamburger ate the man," is ...........
- Correct Answer: b. semantically odd
- Explanation:
- The sentence is grammatically correct but semantically odd because hamburgers are not typically considered capable of eating.
Test 108
- Expressions that attribute qualities to an object not normally associated with those qualities are called ...........
- Correct Answer: d. metaphors
- Explanation:
- Metaphors are figures of speech that make an implicit comparison between two unlike things. They attribute qualities of one thing to another, often in a creative or imaginative way. For example, "Time is money."
Test 109
- The standard theory of interpretive semantics hypothesizes that semantic interpretation ...........
- Correct Answer: a. occurs at the level of surface structure
- Explanation:
- Interpretive Semantics proposes that the meaning of a sentence is determined by applying semantic rules directly to the surface structure of the sentence.
Test 110
- Generally work in the field of .......... deals with the description of word and sentence meaning.
- Correct Answer: a. semantics
- Explanation:
- Semantics is the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words and sentences.
Test 111
- In .........., two or more sentences have the same meaning.
- Correct Answer: c. paraphrase
- Explanation:
- Paraphrases are different ways of expressing the same meaning.
Test 112
- The basic essential components of meaning which are conveyed by the literal use of a word are covered by .......... meaning.
- Correct Answer: c. conceptual
- Explanation:
- Conceptual meaning refers to the core, dictionary-like definition of a word, independent of any specific context or cultural associations.
Test 113
- Features such as [human], [young], [old] and [female] are referred to as .......... features.
- Correct Answer: d. semantic
- Explanation:
- These features are semantic features that help define the meaning of words and distinguish them from one another.
Test 114
- According to .........., sentence semantics should be analyzed and described by rules that operate on the syntactic structure produced by a grammar.
- Correct Answer: c. interpretive semantics
- Explanation:
- Interpretive Semantics proposes that semantic interpretation occurs directly at the level of the surface structure of the sentence, which is generated by the syntactic rules of the grammar.
Test 115
- "Overextension" is a part of the process of .......... development in children learning their first language.
- Correct Answer: d. semantic
- Explanation:
- Overextension is a common phenomenon in early language acquisition where children use a word to refer to a wider range of objects or concepts than is typically considered correct. For example, a child might use the word "dog" to refer to all four-legged animals.
Test 116
- Those basic, essential components of meaning which are conveyed by the literal use of a word are covered by .......... meaning.
- Correct Answer: c. conceptual
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 104. The correct answer is conceptual meaning.
Test 117
- One of the primary reasons for the widespread disagreement about the analysis and description of sentence semantics is that ...........
- Correct Answer: c. there are no physical or observable clues to meaning
- Explanation:
- Unlike sounds or grammatical structures, meaning is abstract and not directly observable. This makes it challenging to objectively analyze and describe.
Test 118
- One characteristic of many .......... is that they become outdated within a very short period of time.
- Correct Answer: a. slang words
- Explanation:
- Slang is characterized by its rapid change and short lifespan. New slang terms emerge frequently, while older ones quickly fall out of use.
Test 119
- The words "thin, sharp, steel," and "instrument" are components of the .......... meaning of the word needle.
- Correct Answer: b. conceptual
- Explanation:
- These words contribute to the overall conceptual definition of "needle," which is a thin, sharp, steel instrument.
Test 120
- Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of slang?
- Correct Answer: c. Slang words are not created through the normal processes of word formation.
- Explanation:
- Slang words are created through the same word-formation processes as other words, such as clipping, blending, and affixation.
Test 121
- The language phenomenon in which verbs indicate the duration, completion or repetition of an action , sometime with little or no attention to tense is called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. aspect
- Explanation:
- Aspect in linguistics refers to how the action or state expressed by a verb unfolds over time, such as whether it is completed, ongoing, or repeated.
Test 122
- Unlike the phonetic features which can be defined precisely in terms of physical actions, semantic features must be viewed as .......... -- basic concepts not subject to further division or definition.
- Correct Answer: c. primes
- Explanation:
- Semantic primes are considered to be the most basic and fundamental units of meaning, not further reducible to smaller components.
Test 123
- Which of the following pairs of words have fuzzy borders?
- Correct Answer: a. town and city
- Explanation:
- Fuzzy borders refer to categories that do not have clear-cut boundaries. "Town" and "city" are examples of such categories, as there is no precise definition to distinguish between them.
Test 124
- The . . . . . . meaning of the color green is peace.
- Correct Answer: b. associative
- Explanation:
- Associative meaning refers to the cultural or emotional connotations associated with a word, beyond its literal definition. In many cultures, the color green is associated with peace, nature, and tranquility.
Test 125
- The relationship between DAFFODIL and ROSE is . . . . . . .
- Correct Answer: b. cohyponymy
- Explanation:
- Cohyponyms are words that share the same hypernym (a higher-level term). In this case, "daffodil" and "rose" are both types of "flowers," making them cohyponyms.
Certainly, let's continue analyzing the multiple-choice questions on semantics in linguistics.
Test 126
- Which of the following words is polysemous?
- Correct Answer: d. kind
- Explanation:
- Polysemy refers to a single word having multiple related meanings. "Kind" can mean:
- Type or sort: "What kind of music do you like?"
- Gentle and considerate: "She is a very kind person."
Test 127
- The two words play (n) and play (v) are . . . . . . .
- Correct Answer: a. homonyms
- Explanation:
- Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. "Play" (noun) refers to a game or dramatic performance, while "play" (verb) means to engage in an activity for amusement or recreation.
Test 128
- Which of the following pairs is NOT a gradable pair of antonyms?
- Correct Answer: b. absent/present
- Explanation:
- Gradable antonyms represent qualities that can exist in varying degrees. "Absent" and "present" are complementary antonyms, meaning they are mutually exclusive and cover all possibilities.
Test 129
- In Italian, the word "attualmente" means "at the present time", whereas the word "actually" in English which belongs to the same word family means "in reality". Therefore, the two words are instances of ...........
- Correct Answer: b. false cognates
- Explanation:
- False cognates are words in different languages that appear to be related due to similar forms but have different meanings.
Test 130
- Words with different spelling but same pronunciation such as "two" and "too" are called ...........
- Correct Answer: d. homophones
- Explanation:
- Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
Test 131
- Words having a pronunciation different from other words with a similar spelling such as "look" and "two" are called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. homographs
- Explanation:
- Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings.
Test 132
- Words with same or similar spellings but different pronunciation are called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. homographs
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 131. The correct answer is homographs.
Test 133
- Which of the following terms is used in semantic analysis to refer to a lexical item which has a range of different meanings?
- Correct Answer: d. Polysemy
- Explanation:
- Polysemy refers to a single word having multiple related meanings.
Test 134
- Generally, work in .......... deals with the description of word and sentence meaning and in .......... with the characterization of speaker meaning.
- Correct Answer: b. semantics/pragmatics
- Explanation:
- Semantics deals with the literal meaning of words and sentences, while pragmatics focuses on how meaning is interpreted in context, considering speaker intentions, social norms, and other factors.
Test 135
- "Clarity" is the .......... meaning of "glass."
- Correct Answer: d. associative
- Explanation:
- Associative meaning refers to the cultural or emotional connotations associated with a word, beyond its literal definition. "Clarity" is an associative meaning of "glass," as it is often associated with the transparency of glass.
Test 136
- Errors are due to .......... whereas mistakes are due to ...........
- Correct Answer: c. lack of knowledge/lack of attention
- Explanation:
- Errors typically arise from a lack of knowledge or understanding of the rules of the language.
- Mistakes are usually attributed to a lack of attention or a momentary lapse in concentration.
Test 137
- .......... is the study of meaning and how it is expressed through language and in particular language.
- Correct Answer: b. Semantics
- Explanation:
- Semantics is the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words and sentences.
Test 138
- "Boy = +human, -adult. This analysis of word into distinctive semantic features is called .......... analysis.
- Correct Answer: d. componential
- Explanation:
- Componential analysis breaks down the meaning of words into smaller, more basic semantic features.
Test 139
- In the sentence, "She met her son yesterday, " with regard to the sex, the words “..........” are said to have redundancy.
- Correct Answer: c. she and her
- Explanation:
- The use of "she" already implies female gender, so the use of "her" is redundant in terms of indicating the female gender of the subject.
Test 140
- What is the "rheme" in the following sentence, "John gave Mary a gift yesterday."?
- Correct Answer: a. A gift
- Explanation:
- In theme-rheme structure, the rheme is the new information or the focus of the sentence. In this case, the new information is that "John gave Mary a gift yesterday."
Test 141
- Which of the following pairs is NOT related to thematic relations or 8-roles?
- Correct Answer: a. theme-rheme
- Explanation:
- Thematic roles (or 8-roles) describe the semantic relationship between the participants in an event and the verb.
- Agent, patient, experiencer, instrument, source, goal, location, and beneficiary are examples of thematic roles.
- Theme-rheme is a concept related to information structure in discourse, not a thematic role.
Test 142
- Componential analysis is the analysis of . . . . . . .
- Correct Answer: a. the semantic features of words
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 138. The correct answer is the semantic features of words.
Test 143
- Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
- Correct Answer: d. Speakers' presuppositions are mainly governed by their linguistic intuitions in their native languages.
- Explanation:
- Speakers' presuppositions are influenced by various factors, including their knowledge of the world, shared cultural assumptions, and the context of the conversation, not just linguistic intuitions.
Test 144
- Generally, semantics deals with the . . . . . . .
- Correct Answer: a. description of word and sentence meaning
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 110. The correct answer is the description of word and sentence meaning.
Test 145
- Case grammar is concerned with the . . . . . . .
- Correct Answer: c. semantic relations among noun phrases
- Explanation:
- Case grammar focuses on the semantic roles (or cases) that noun phrases play in relation to the verb in a sentence.
Test 146
- What are the case relations of the NPs in the following sentence respectively? “The student was afraid of the test.”
- Correct Answer: c. experiencer, patient
- Explanation:
- "The student" is the experiencer of the emotion (fear), and "the test" is the patient or the object of the emotion.
Test 147
- What are the case relations of the underlined NPs in the following sentence? “The bomb killed the man.”
- Correct Answer: b. instrument, patient
- Explanation:
- "The bomb" is the instrument that caused the action, and "the man" is the patient who was affected by the action.
Test 147
- What are the case relations of the
- Correct Answer: b. instrument, patient
- Explanation:
- In the sentence "The bomb killed the man,"
- "The bomb" acts as the instrument that causes the action.
- "The man" is the patient who undergoes the action.
Test 148
- Generative semantics . . . . . .
- Correct Answer: b. does not account for meaning through syntactic structures
- Explanation:
- Generative semantics is a framework that emphasizes the importance of underlying semantic representations (deep structures) in determining the meaning of a sentence. It argues that meaning is not solely derived from the surface syntactic structure.