Pragmatics
Test 1
- What are the deictic expressions in the following statement, "I am busy now, so you cannot do it here."?
- Correct Answer: c. I, you, here, now
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions are words whose meaning depends on the speaker, the hearer, the time of utterance, and the place of utterance. In the given sentence:
- I: Refers to the speaker.
- You: Refers to the hearer.
- Here: Refers to the location of the speaker.
- Now: Refers to the time of speaking.
Test 2
- Whenever we speak, we make unconscious assumptions about the knowledge that we share with listeners. Such assumptions which affect our use of language are called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. presuppositions
- Explanation:
- Presuppositions are implicit assumptions that are taken for granted in a conversation. They are background beliefs that must be true for the utterance to make sense.
Test 3
- The statement "The king of Greece is on a visit to U. S.” presupposes that ...........
- Correct Answer: a. Greece is a monarchy
- Explanation:
- For the statement "The king of Greece is on a visit to the U.S." to be meaningful, it presupposes that Greece has a monarchy and therefore has a king.
Test 4
- "You are not supposed to touch this book which is here." The deictic expressions in the above sentence are “...........”
- Correct Answer: d. you, this, here
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions:
- You: Refers to the hearer.
- This: Points to a specific book in the immediate context.
- Here: Indicates the location of the book relative to the speaker and hearer.
Test 5
- The unconscious assumptions that we share with our listeners are called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. presuppositions
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 2. The correct answer is presuppositions.
Test 6
- Work in pragmatics deals with the .......... meaning.
- Correct Answer: a. characterization of speaker
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics focuses on how language is used in context, considering the speaker's intentions, the social context, and how the listener interprets the message.
Test 7
- .......... belongs to the theory of language use.
- Correct Answer: d. Pragmatic competence
- Explanation:
- Pragmatic competence refers to an individual's ability to use language effectively and appropriately in social situations.
Test 8
- Relationship between sign and sign users are discussed in ...........
- Correct Answer: d. pragmatics
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics studies how language is used in social contexts, including the relationship between the speaker, the listener, and the social and cultural factors that influence communication.
Test 9
- The statement "The king of Greece is on a visit to the U. S. " presupposes that ...........
- Correct Answer: a. Greece is a monarchy
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 3. The correct answer is Greece is a monarchy.
Test 10
- Which of the followings contains two deictic expressions?
- Correct Answer: b. In this university exams will be given two weeks from now
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions:
- This: Refers to the specific university being discussed.
- Now: Refers to the current time of speaking.
Test 11
- "Pragmatics" is a branch of linguistic science which studies ...........
- Correct Answer: d. language meanings in relation to the contextual factors
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics focuses on how language is used in context, considering the speaker's intentions, the social context, and how the listener interprets the message.
Test 12
- The co-text of a word is the ...........
- Correct Answer: a. set of other words used in the same phrase or sentence
- Explanation:
- Co-text refers to the linguistic environment in which a word occurs, such as the surrounding words and phrases.
Test 13
- .......... is a term used to subsume those features of language which refer to the personal, temporal or locational characteristics of the situation.
- Correct Answer: b. Deixis
- Explanation:
- Deixis refers to the phenomenon where the meaning of certain words and expressions depends on the context of their utterance, specifically the speaker, the hearer, the time of utterance, and the place of utterance.
Test 14
- What are the deictic expressions in the following sentence: "They will talk to me about this when it's too late"?
- Correct Answer: b. They, me, this, it
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions:
- They: Refers to a group of people other than the speaker and hearer.
- Me: Refers to the speaker.
- This: Refers to a specific topic or subject matter.
- It: Refers to a specific time in the future.
Test 15
- Linguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic variables that affect actual language use are called ..........
- Correct Answer: c. pragmatic factors
- Explanation:
- Pragmatic factors are the various social, psychological, and contextual influences that affect how language is used in real-world situations.
Test 16
- Assumptions about the knowledge that we share with our listeners are called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. presuppositions
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 2 and 5. The correct answer is presuppositions.
Test 17
- What is the word which is not a diectic expression in the following statement? "Now he is writing a letter to his mother here in this room."
- Correct Answer: c. letter
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions:
- Now: Refers to the present time.
- He: Refers to a specific male individual.
- Here: Refers to the location of the speaker.
- "Letter" is not a deictic expression as its meaning does not depend on the context of utterance.
Test 18
- The following utterance produced by a student addressing his teacher is .......... ill-formed: “post the letter for me, will you?”
- Correct Answer: b. pragmatically
- Explanation:
- While grammatically correct, the utterance is pragmatically inappropriate. It is impolite and lacks the appropriate level of formality when addressing a teacher.
Test 19
- Every language has a set of lexemes of .......... which can be interpreted only with reference to the speaker’s position in space or time.
- Correct Answer: c. dietetic forms
- Explanation:
- This should be deictic forms.
- Deictic forms are words whose meaning depends on the context of utterance, such as the speaker's location, time of speaking, and the relationship between the speaker and the listener.
Test 20
- A- I hear John didn't do too well in his final exam. B- Yeah, it turned out to be his Waterloo. What kind of knowledge would allow for a correct interpretation of this dialog?
- Correct Answer: c. pragmatic
- Explanation:
- To understand the meaning of B's response, one needs to understand the pragmatic concept of implicature. B is using the metaphor "Waterloo" (referring to Napoleon's defeat) to imply that John's failure in the exam was a significant and devastating setback.
Test 21
- Which presupposition is NOT relevant to the sentence?
- Correct Answer: d. Who discovered America in ? Presupposition: America was discovered in .
- Explanation:
- The question "Who discovered America in ?" itself presupposes that America was discovered.
Test 22
- Assumptions about the knowledge that we share with our listeners are called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. presuppositions
- Explanation:
- This is the same as questions 2, 5, and 16. The correct answer is presuppositions.
Test 23
- Studying the way we use language to get the meanings beyond those given form by language is termed ··········· and studying how sentences are fitted to longer stretches of language is termed ……….
- Correct Answer: c. pragmatics - discourse analysis
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics studies how language is used in context, focusing on the speaker's intentions and how meaning is interpreted beyond the literal level.
- Discourse analysis examines how sentences are connected and related to each other within a larger piece of text or conversation.
Test 24
- The systematic description of linguistic knowledge is referred to as ..........
- Correct Answer: d. grammar
- Explanation:
- Grammar is the system of rules that governs the structure and use of a language. It encompasses various aspects of language, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
Test 25
- According to Yule , pragmatics refers to ..........
- Correct Answer: a. the branch of study that focuses on how language users interpret what other language users mean
- Explanation:
- This accurately reflects Yule's definition of pragmatics, emphasizing the focus on how speakers and listeners use language to achieve their communicative goals.
Test 26
- Semantics and pragmatics are concerned with aspects of .......... in language.
- Correct Answer: d. meaning
- Explanation:
- Semantics deals with the literal meaning of words and sentences.
- Pragmatics focuses on how meaning is interpreted in context, considering the speaker's intentions, the social context, and how the listener interprets the message. Both fields are fundamentally concerned with aspects of meaning in language.
Test 27
- Which of the following sentences does not contain any deictic expression?
- Correct Answer: a. The students were discussing the topic.
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions are words whose meaning depends on the context of utterance (speaker, hearer, time, place).
- "The students were discussing the topic." does not contain any words that rely on the specific context for their interpretation.
Test 28
- Compare the following sentence: a) John has lost his briefcase b) John has not lost his briefcase. One may conclude that ............ .
- Correct Answer: c. both meaning and presuppositions have changed
- Explanation:
- Both sentences have different meanings.
- Sentence (a) presupposes that John had a briefcase at some point.
- Sentence (b) also presupposes that John had a briefcase at some point, but it negates the proposition that he lost it.
Test 29
- Take the following sentences into account: 1- My brother stopped taking care of our father. 2- My brother didn’t stop taking care of our father. The two sentences share the ……….
- Correct Answer: a. presupposition
- Explanation:
- Both sentences presuppose that "My brother was taking care of our father at some point." This information is taken for granted in both statements.
Test 30
- In the study of language development, pragmatics refer to the ..........
- Correct Answer: d. understanding of various rules and forms of language in a variety of contexts.
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics in language development involves children learning how to use language appropriately in social situations, understanding the intentions of others, and developing communicative competence.
Test 31
- What a speaker assumes is true or is known by the hearer can be described as ...........
- Correct Answer: a. presupposition
- Explanation:
- This is the same as questions 2, 5, 16, and 22. The correct answer is presupposition.
Test 32
- The "constancy under negation" test works as a means of finding the .......... underlying a sentence.
- Correct Answer: b. presupposition
- Explanation:
- The "constancy under negation" test is a method for identifying presuppositions. If a statement and its negation both presuppose the same information, that information is likely to be a presupposition of the original statement.
Test 33
- Consider the following sentences, “My grandfather was a captain. My grandfather was not a captain.” The .......... is "I had a grandfather."
- Correct Answer: b. presupposition
- Explanation:
- Both sentences presuppose that the speaker had a grandfather. This information is taken for granted in both statements.
Test 34
- The deictic expressions in the following statement, "You have no other choice but to leave here. " are “...........”
- Correct Answer: a. you, here
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions:
- You: Refers to the hearer.
- Here: Refers to the location of the speaker and hearer.
Test 35
- In analyzing a text discoursally, one should concentrate on what is taking place or what is going on or actually what is happening. This part of analysis is about the .......... of the text.
- Correct Answer: c. field
- Explanation:
- In discourse analysis, the field of discourse refers to the subject matter or topic of the text.
Test 36
- The branch of language study that focuses on how language users interpret what other language users mean is called ...........
- Correct Answer: c. pragmatics
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 6. The correct answer is pragmatics.
Test 37
- The sentence, "They must do that tomorrow because they are not here now," is not comprehensible because of lack of ...........
- Correct Answer: a. deictic expressions
- Explanation:
- The sentence lacks crucial information about who "they" are and where "here" is. These are deictic expressions that are necessary for understanding the meaning of the sentence.
Test 38
- The study of language in communication, particularly the relationship between sentences and the contexts and situations in which they are used is referred to as ...........
- Correct Answer: c. pragmatics
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 6, 11, and 36. The correct answer is pragmatics.
Test 39
- In the sentence, "He is expected to come here now," the deictic expressions are ...........
- Correct Answer: b. he, here, and now
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions:
- He: Refers to a specific male individual.
- Here: Refers to the location of the speaker.
- Now: Refers to the present time.
Test 40
- The set of other words used in the same phrase or sentence is considered the .......... of a word.
- Correct Answer: b. co-text
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 12. The correct answer is co-text.
Test 41
- .......... terms require knowledge of the circumstances of the utterance to be interpreted referentially.
- Correct Answer: a. Deictic
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions (such as pronouns, demonstratives, and adverbs of time and place) derive their meaning from the context in which they are used.
Test 42
- The interaction between a sequence of language and the real world situation in which it is used is called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. pragmatics
- Explanation:
- Pragmatics studies how language is used in context, considering the speaker's intentions, the social context, and how the listener interprets the message within the real-world situation.
Test 43
- The word "It" in the sentence "It is unfortunate that you are leaving us" ...........
- Correct Answer: d. functions as a real subject
- Explanation:
- In this sentence, "It" is a dummy subject or expletive pronoun. It doesn't refer to any specific noun, but it's grammatically necessary to fill the subject position.
Test 44
- Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
- Correct Answer: c. Deictic expressions are ultimately determined in the co-text and not the physical context.
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions are strongly influenced by the physical context (time, place, speaker, hearer). While co-text (surrounding words) can provide some clues, the physical context plays a crucial role in their interpretation.
Test 45
- "Focusing on how language users interpret what other language users mean" is of interest to ...........
- Correct Answer: a. pragmatics
- Explanation:
- This is the same as questions 6, 11, 36, and 38. The correct answer is pragmatics.
Test 46
- According to Austin, words like "promise" in which the saying of the word is the doing of the action are called .......... verbs.
- Correct Answer: c. performative
- Explanation:
- Performative verbs are verbs that, when uttered in appropriate circumstances, actually perform the action they describe. For example, saying "I promise" actually constitutes the act of making a promise.
Test 47
- Which of the following is true?
- Correct Answer: b. Both context and situation are extralingual.
- Explanation:
- Context and situation both refer to factors outside of the linguistic message itself.
- Context includes the physical environment, social relationships, and cultural norms.
- Situation encompasses the broader context of the interaction, including the purpose of the communication and the participants' roles.
Test 48
- The non-linguistic environment of a linguistic event is called .......... whereas the total linguistic environment of a linguistic event is called ..........
- Correct Answer: b. situation/co-text
- Explanation:
- Situation refers to the non-linguistic context, such as the physical setting, social relationships, and cultural norms.
- Co-text refers to the linguistic context, such as the surrounding words and phrases within a text.
Test 49
- Sentences having two or more interpretations are called .......... sentences.
- Correct Answer: b. ambiguous
- Explanation:
- Ambiguity arises when a sentence can have multiple interpretations due to its grammatical structure or the multiple meanings of words within it.
Test 50
- The tendency of words to co-occur predictably with others e.g. “solve/problem” is called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. collocation
- Explanation:
- Collocation refers to the tendency of words to occur together frequently. For example, "strong" often collocates with words like "coffee," "wind," and "opinion."
Test 51
- Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
- Correct Answer: c. Deictic expressions are ultimately determined in the co-text and not the physical context.
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 44. The correct answer is Deictic expressions are ultimately determined in the co-text and not the physical context.
Test 52
- A speech act which describes events or states in the real world such as an assertion is called a . . . . . . speech act.
- Correct Answer: a. representative
- Explanation:
- Representatives are speech acts that express beliefs or make assertions about the world. Examples include statements, descriptions, and claims.
Test 53
- Context refers to the ... .. .
- Correct Answer: a. situation in which an utterance is spoken
- Explanation:
- This is the same as the explanation in question 47. Context encompasses the broader situation in which the communication takes place, including the physical environment, social relationships, and cultural norms.
Test 54
- Which of the following groups is NOT a set of deictic expressions?
- Correct Answer: d. with, tomorrow, that
- Explanation:
- Deictic expressions typically include:
- Personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, we, they
- Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
- Time adverbs: now, then, today, yesterday, tomorrow
- Place adverbs: here, there, this place, that place
- The group "with, tomorrow, that" includes a preposition ("with"), a time adverb ("tomorrow"), and a demonstrative pronoun ("that"), but not all are deictic.
Test 55
- Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
- Correct Answer: d. Speaker's presuppositions are mainly governed by their linguistic intuitions in their native languages.
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 143. The correct answer is Speaker's presuppositions are mainly governed by their linguistic intuitions in their native languages.
Test 56
- There are .......... common speech acts: ...........
- Correct Answer: b. three/ locutionary, illocutionary and prelocutionary
- Explanation:
- According to John L. Austin's speech act theory, there are three main types of speech acts:
- Locutionary acts: The act of uttering a sentence with a particular meaning.
- Illocutionary acts: The act that is performed in saying something (e.g., making a promise, giving an order).
- Perlocutionary acts: The effect that the utterance has on the hearer (e.g., persuading, convincing, offending).
Test 57
- When the speaker uses the sentence, "It is hot here, isn't it?" to ask for the window to be opened, it is called ...........
- Correct Answer: b. indirect speech act
- Explanation:
- Indirect speech acts are utterances that convey a meaning beyond their literal interpretation. While the literal meaning of "It is hot here, isn't it?" is a statement, the intended meaning is a request to open the window.
Test 58
- According to the speech act theory, the sentence, "I promise not to be late," is an example of .......... act.
- Correct Answer: b. performative
- Explanation:
- This is the same as question 46. The correct answer is performative. Saying "I promise" itself constitutes the act of making a promise.