Mock Exam: Introduction to Linguistics
As created by Jelena Pajic, a former Introduction to Linguistics tutor
Please note that the actual minitests will be shorter but this example shows what sort of
questions you can expect.
Section 1: Language and Linguistics (First Mini-Test)
Ferdinand de Saussure’s language model is a)
divided in langue and parole. If one
compares language to a game (say, poker), b)
which term would be analogous to the rules
of the game, langue or parole? (1pt)
which term would be analogous to a practical
manifestation of the game, Langue or
Parole? (1pt)
2) A book called Working Class Irish English 2)
Grammar is what kind of grammar,
descriptive or prescriptive? (1pt)
3) What is the technical term for a study 3)
which focuses on a linguistic phenomenon at
a specific point in time? (1pt)
4) The fact that all of us can come up with 4)
original sentences which have never been
uttered before proves that language is… (1pt)
5) Which branch of linguistics is concerned 5)
with the intersection of language and
criminal investigation? (1pt)
6) One central function of language is 7)
communication. Name one other function of
language. (1pt)
Section 2: Phonetics (Second Mini-Test)
1) Give the phonetic symbol for the a)
following consonants: (3pts)
a) unvoiced alveolar fricative b)
b) voiced velar plosive
c) (voiced) bilabial nasal c)
1
2) Describe the following phonetic a)
symbols in terms of their phonetic
features: (3pts)
a) b)
b)
c)
c)
3) Give the phonetic symbol for the a)
following vowels: (3pts)
a) unrounded low back vowel b)
b) rounded high back vowel
c) glide from unrounded high front to c)
unrounded central vowel
4) Describe the following phonetic a)
symbols in terms of their phonetic
features: (3pts)
a) b)
b)
c)
c)
5) Transcribe the following words a)
(including primary stress): (6pts)
a) sneakers
b) vanilla b)
c) gruesome
c)
*Bonus* Illustrate the difference between a)
Standard American English (SAE) and SAE:
Standard British English (SBE) vowel
pronunciation by three giving examples in SBE:
IPA. (6pts)
b)
SAE:
SBE:
c)
SAE:
SBE:
2
Section 3: Phonology:
1) Which of the following are minimal a)
pairs? Write yes/no. (3pts)
a) bus – cuss b)
b) free – freak
c) pray – tray c)
2) Which of the following are phonemes in a)
English and which are allophones? (3pts)
a) vs. b)
b) vs
c) [k] vs. [g] c)
3) Which phenomena of the phonology of a)
fluent speech are exemplified here? (3pts)
a) [waıf] à [waıvz] b)
b) [sınk] à [sıŋk]
c) [gʊd naɪt] à [gʊnaɪt] c)
4) In these words transcribed in IPA, a)
identify all the syllables, all the syllable syllables:
peaks (in IPA symbols!), and what type of
feet the words consist of. (9pts) peaks:
a) sɪnkɹɒnaɪzd
feet: b)
b) fæntæstɪk syllables:
c) hɒrɛndəs peaks:
feet:
c)
syllables:
peaks: feet:
Section 4: Morphology (Third Mini-Test)
1) Analyse the following words and indicate a)
whether they are simple or complex (circle [ ] simple [ ] complex
appropriate one). Indicate the stem if they are stem:
complex. (6pts) b)
a) overwhelmed [ ] simple [ ] complex
b) reread stem:
c) basketball c)
[ ] simple [ ] complex
stem:
2) List the affixes of the words above from a)
question 1 if there are any. If you find affixes (d/i):
suffixes, indicate whether they are
derivational or inflectional. (6pts)
b)
3
*Bonus* Mark the suffixes that change the affixes (d/i):
word class with an asterisk (*). (2pts)
c)
affixes (d/i):
3) The following are examples of which a)
word formation process? (5pts)
a) FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) b)
b) mockumentary (fake comedic
documentary) c)
c) to google
Section 5: Semantics
1) From the list below, pick: a)
a) two hypernyms -
b) two co-hyponyms -
c) the “top” hypernym (3pts)
b)
apple, lettuce, carrot, banana, fruit, potato, -
food, orange, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, -
grapes, vegetable, raspberries, melon
c)
*Bonus* What is the relationship between
these two sentences? (2pts)
- Cats are pets.
- Gwendolyn is a cat.
2) Describe the relationship between
these terms: (5pts)
a) your/you’re
b) bark (of a tree)/bark (noise a dog
makes)
c) tear (to rip)/tear (form crying)
d) cooked/boiled/stewed
e) bow (tie)/bow (down in front of queen)
3) Are the antonyms tall/short gradable or 3)
complimentary? (1pt)
4) What would be a prototypical example of 4)
“tool”? (1pt)
5) What are synonyms like 5)
girlfriend/lover/significant other/
spouse/crush called which cannot fully
replace one another in every context? 1pt)
6) What type of meaning is represented in a)
the following examples? (4pts)
a) I look forward to starting my new job. b)
b) Germany is not doing too well in the
World Cup. c)
c) I came in like a wrecking ball.
d) Would you hand me the plastic d)
silverware and plastic glasses?
4
Section 6: Syntax (Fourth Mini-Test)
1) Analyse the following example sentences: (8pts)
(1) The lion watched the mating dance of the peacocks in the neighbouring cage with
his eyes wide open.
(2) She finds Jamie’s living situation a total disaster.
(3) Eugene and Edith knocked down the vase with the swords.
(4) The plan was presented by an intern.
a) What is the theme in (1)? a)
b) What is the rheme in (2)? b)
c) In terms of functional analysis, what is c)
“the mating dance of the peacocks” in (1)?
d) In terms of functional analysis, what is “a d)
total disaster” in (2)?
e) Is there an agent in (4)? If so, who or e)
what?
f) In terms of constituent analysis, what is f)
“with the swords” in (3)?
g) Sentence (3) is ambiguous. To which g)
nodes (XPs) could the constituency/phrase
that creates the ambiguity be attached?
h) How many NPs are there altogether in
(1)?
2) Phrase Structure Rules: (6pts) a)
a) What are the obligatory constituents of an
VP? b)
b) What are the obligatory constituents of a
cl or S? c)
c) Draw a tree diagram showing the
structure of an XP.
3) Draw the phrase structure tree if the 3)
following phrase according to the XP rules
convention: (4pts)
(5) the city with the bear pit by the
Aare
4) Which of the following sentences or Deep structure: 6
clauses are closer to the deep structure or
actually represent it? (3pts) Transformations:
*Bonus* Indicate what types of
transformations have taken place to get the
surface structure. (3pts)
Deep structure: 7
(6a) Who did you share the cab with? (6b) Transformations:
You shared the cab with whom?
(7a) Theresa put on her shoes. (7b) Theresa
put her shoes on.
5
Deep structure: 8
(8a) Hardly had Judy left the bar when Tina Transformations:
did so too.
(8b) Judy had hardly left the bar when Tina
left the bar too.
Section 7: Pragmatics
1) Conversation Analysis: In the A: That’s what it said (0.2s) I swear (0.5s) it’s
following utterances identify the TRPs just unbelievable.
with a circle. (4pts)
(Note: the numbers in brackets indicate the B: (laughs) (0.3s) The audacity!
duration of a pause in seconds.)
2) Speech Acts: What is the locutionary a) LA:
act (LA), the illocutionary force (IF), and
the perlocutionary force (PF) of the IF:
following utterances? (6pts)
PF:
a) Stranger on the bus: “Would you
happen to know the time?” b) LA:
b) Father to small child at the swimming
pool: “I am going home now, Anna Louise.” IF:
PF:
3) Cooperative Principle: (8pts)
- What maxim(s) is/are not observed in the
following exchanges?
- Is an implicature created? a) [ ] implicature [ ] no implicature If
- If so, what is the implicature? yes, implicature:
- If so, is it conversational or conventional?
a) Customer: “Well, who is the book [ ] conversational [ ] conventional
loaned out to?”
Librarian: “I’m sorry, I can’t share b) [ ] implicature [ ] no implicature If
that information with you.” yes, implicature:
b) John: “How did you like his latest
novel?” [ ] conversational [ ] conventional
Mary: “Those trees could have been
put to better use.”
*Bonus* What is the missing performative a)
(verb) in the following utterances? (3pts)
a) He that he has stolen the sandwich. b)
b) We that you use the ATM down on
Greenwood Avenue. c)
c) I an explanation right now!
