ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS – 2IUIVCE8
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS WITH KEY ANSWERS
1. Which theory suggests that language originated from humans mimicking natural
sounds?
a) The Bow-Wow Theory
b) The Ding-Dong Theory
c) The Pooh-Pooh Theory
d) The La-La Theory
2. The theory that language developed through humans’ emotional responses is
known as:
a) The Bow-Wow Theory
b) The La-La Theory
c) The Gestural Theory
d) The Social Interaction Theory
3. Who is considered the father of the "Monogenesis" theory of language origin,
which suggests that all languages trace back to a single language?
a) Noam Chomsky
b) Charles Darwin
c) Wilhelm von Humboldt
d) Adam Smith
4. Which of the following is a key difference between animal and human language?
a) Human language is instinctual; animal language is learned
b) Animal language can express complex ideas and abstract concepts
c) Human language has syntax and grammar, while animal communication does not
d) Animals can only communicate through vocal sounds, while humans can use other
forms of communication
5. Which of the following is true about animal communication?
a) Animals can use abstract symbols to communicate
b) Animals can create new words and meanings
c) Animal communication is mostly limited to immediate needs or emotions
d) Animals use complex sentence structures like humans
6. Which animal is known for using symbols to communicate in a way that is similar
to human language?
a) Dogs
b) Dolphins
c) Gorillas
d) Parrots
7. The earliest form of written language, used by the Sumerians, is called:
a) Hieroglyphics
b) Cuneiform
c) Pictographs
d) Alphabetic writing
8. The development of the alphabet as a writing system is largely attributed to:
a) The Egyptians
b) The Greeks
c) The Phoenicians
d) The Romans
9. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of written language?
a) It allows for permanent records of communication
b) It is more abstract than spoken language
c) It is usually less structured than oral language
d) It relies heavily on visual symbols
10. The writing system that uses pictures or symbols to represent words or concepts
is known as:
a) Phonetic script
b) Pictographic writing
c) Alphabetic script
d) Ideographic writing
11. Which of the following speech organs is primarily responsible for producing
speech sounds?
a) Esophagus
b) Lungs
c) Tongue
d) Stomach
12. The air used in producing speech sounds comes from which part of the body?
a) The brain
b) The vocal cords
c) The lungs
d) The diaphragm
13. Which part of the speech apparatus is responsible for vibrating to produce sound
when air passes through?
a) Tongue
b) Teeth
c) Vocal cords (or vocal folds)
d) Lips
14. Which part of the vocal tract controls the pitch and volume of speech?
a) Teeth
b) Lungs
c) Pharynx
d) Larynx
15. Which of the following consonants is a voiced sound?
a) /p/
b) /s/
c) /t/
d) /b/
16. Which of the following consonants is produced with the vocal cords vibrating?
a) /f/
b) /k/
c) /z/
d) /h/
17. What is the place of articulation for the sound /t/?
a) Bilabial
b) Dental
c) Alveolar
d) Velar
18. The sound /ʃ/ in English, as in "shoe," is an example of a:
a) Plosive
b) Nasal
c) Fricative
d) Affricate
19. Which of the following is an example of a consonant cluster (two consonants
together without a vowel)?
a) /pl/ in "play"
b) /tʃ/ in "chocolate"
c) /æ/ in "cat"
d) /ei/ in "say"
20. Which of the following combinations is a valid English consonant cluster?
a) /pt/
b) /nd/
c) /tm/
d) /np/
[NOTE - Answer: (b) /nd/ (as in "land")]
21. Which of the following words contains a consonant cluster at the beginning?
a) "cat"
b) "tree"
c) "play"
d) "apple"
22. The vowel sound /æ/ (as in "cat") is classified as:
a) A front, high vowel
b) A back, low vowel
c) A front, low vowel
d) A back, high vowel
23. Which of the following is a diphthong in English?
a) /i/
b) /eɪ/
c) /æ/
d) /u/
[NOTE: Answer: b) /eɪ/ (as in "say")]
24. The vowel sound /ɪ/ (as in "sit") is classified as:
a) A front, high vowel
b) A front, low vowel
c) A back, high vowel
d) A back, low vowel
25. Which of the following vowels is produced with the tongue positioned towards the
back of the mouth?
a) /e/
b) /a/
c) /u/
d) /i/
26. What is the smallest unit of meaning in language?
a) Phoneme
b) Word
c) Morpheme
d) Sentence
27. Which of the following is an example of a free morpheme?
a) "un-" in "undo"
b) "cats" in "cats"
c) "-ed" in "walked"
d) "-ing" in "running"
[NOTE: - Answer: b) "cats" in "cats" (because it can stand alone as a word)
28. The morpheme "-s" in "cats" serves to indicate:
a) Tense
b) Number
c) Person
d) Gender
[NOTE: -Answer: b) Number (it marks plural form)]
29. Which of the following is an example of a bound morpheme?
a) "dog"
b) "un-"
c) "quick"
d) "happy"
[NOTE: - Answer: b) "un-" (it cannot stand alone and must attach to a free morpheme)]
30. The word "unhappiness" contains how many morphemes?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
[NOTE: - Answer: c) Three ("un-" + "happy" + "-ness")]
31. Which of the following represents a complex word form?
a) "run"
b) "running"
c) "walk"
d) "cat"
[NOTE: - Answer: b) "running" (because it is formed by adding the bound morpheme "-
ing" to the free morpheme "run")]
32. In the word "helpful," the morphemes are:
a) "help" and "ful"
b) "help" and "full"
c) "help" and "-ful"
d) "help," "ful," and "-ing"
[NOTE: - Answer: a) "help" and "ful" (The word consists of the free morpheme "help"
and the bound morpheme "-ful")]
33. A "compound word" is created when:
a) A word is broken into smaller morphemes
b) Two free morphemes are combined
c) A word includes a prefix and a suffix
d) A single morpheme is repeated
[NOTE: Answer: b) Two free morphemes are combined (e.g., "notebook" = "note" +
"book")]
34. The process by which new words are created by adding prefixes or suffixes to
existing words is known as:
a) Derivation
b) Inflection
c) Compounding
d) Borrowing
35. Which of the following is an example of an inflectional morpheme?
a) "un-" in "undo"
b) "-s" in "dogs"
c) "-ly" in "quickly"
d) "pre-" in "prepare"
[NOTE: - Answer: b) "-s" in "dogs" (it changes the number of the noun, making it plural)]
