LINA01 VERIFIED EXAM SOLUTIONS - COMPREHENSIVE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - CURRENT VERSION
(2026/2027)
What is competence in linguistics? Linguistic knowledge is unconscious
knowledge; people speaking a specific language are able to explain what
constructions are correct or incorrect in that language, but they are not able to
explain why.
What is register? A variety of language used in very particular social settings.
What does register/style refer to? The level of formality.
What is grammar? A mental system of rules that exists in the head of native
speakers.
What is mental grammar? A system of rules that allows native speakers of a
language to produce and understand sentences that have never been produced or
heard before.
What are the five components of mental grammar? Phonetics, Phonology,
Morphology, Syntax, and Semantics.
What does phonetics deal with? The perception and articulation of speech
sounds.
What does phonology deal with? Sound combinations, particularly which sound
combinations are possible.
What does morphology deal with? The structure of words.
What does syntax deal with? Sentence structure.
What does semantics deal with? Meaning and the interpretation of sentences.
What is prescriptive grammar also known as? Traditional grammar.
,What is prescriptive grammar? The approach to grammar that governs the
version of English which is considered appropriate for use by educated
speakers.
What are the characteristics of prescriptive grammar?
1. One form is more logical than another, 2. There is an appeal to classical
forms, 3. There is a preference for older forms of the language, 4. There
is an injunction against the use of foreign words (words borrowed from
other languages).
What is descriptive grammar? Grammar that characterizes the actual language
of specific groups of people in a range of situations.
What type of grammarians are linguists? Descriptive grammarians.
How do descriptive linguists counter prescriptive claims? a. All varieties of a
language are valid systems with their own logic and conventions, b. There is no
scientific reason to expect one language to match the mold of another, c.
Languages are continually changing in subtle ways without reducing their
usefulness, preciseness or aesthetic value, d. All languages have adopted words
from other sources.
What are examples of descriptive rules? a. Articles like the and a precede nouns
in English, b. In English, adjectives come before nouns to modify them, c. The
word order in English is Subject + Verb + Object (SVO).
What are examples of prescriptive rules? a. Don't end a sentence with a
preposition, b. Don't split an infinitive, c. Don't use double negatives. Two
negatives equal a positive.
What is generality in grammar? All languages/dialects (and speakers/signers)
have a grammar; individual grammatical systems differ in the use of structure
formation rules.
What are the five characteristics of grammar? Generality, Parity, Mutability,
Inaccessibility, Universality.
What is parity? All grammars are equal. There is no such thing as a "primitive"
language.
What is mutability? Grammars change over time. Moreover, when grammars
change, they do so within strict limits.
, What is inaccessibility? Grammatical knowledge is unconscious. It cannot be
figured out just by thinking about it.
What is universality? All grammars are alike in basic ways in spite of apparent
distinctions; all languages share an inventory of principles and properties
(including the so-called universals).
What are examples of universality? a. All languages use a small set of
contrastive sounds to help distinguish words from each other, b. Any language
that has a [t͡ʃ] sound, almost certainly has a [t] sound.
What is a standard language? The variety of any given language spoken by the
most powerful group in a community.
What does an asterisk indicate? An ungrammatical sentence.
What are phonemes? Sounds that are considered the building blocks of
language; they carry no significant meaning—words do.
What is morphology in linguistics? The division of linguistics that looks at
words and their formation; deals with categorization of words, internal word
structures, and processes by which language creates and modifies words.
Where are simple words stored? In our lexicon.
What is a word? An element whose position is flexible relative to neighboring
units.
Are words always the smallest unit of meaning? No.
What is a word in linguistics? The smallest free form. A free form that can stand
on its own without having to be attached to any other element.
What are morphemes? Internal structures of smaller units of meanings that carry
some information about either function or meaning.
What is a simple word? Words that may be made up of a single morpheme
which cannot be further analyzed into smaller morphemes.
What are complex words? Words composed of two or more morphemes.
What are allomorphs? Morphemes that vary in pronunciation and these different
pronunciations depend on the context where the morphemes occur.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - CURRENT VERSION
(2026/2027)
What is competence in linguistics? Linguistic knowledge is unconscious
knowledge; people speaking a specific language are able to explain what
constructions are correct or incorrect in that language, but they are not able to
explain why.
What is register? A variety of language used in very particular social settings.
What does register/style refer to? The level of formality.
What is grammar? A mental system of rules that exists in the head of native
speakers.
What is mental grammar? A system of rules that allows native speakers of a
language to produce and understand sentences that have never been produced or
heard before.
What are the five components of mental grammar? Phonetics, Phonology,
Morphology, Syntax, and Semantics.
What does phonetics deal with? The perception and articulation of speech
sounds.
What does phonology deal with? Sound combinations, particularly which sound
combinations are possible.
What does morphology deal with? The structure of words.
What does syntax deal with? Sentence structure.
What does semantics deal with? Meaning and the interpretation of sentences.
What is prescriptive grammar also known as? Traditional grammar.
,What is prescriptive grammar? The approach to grammar that governs the
version of English which is considered appropriate for use by educated
speakers.
What are the characteristics of prescriptive grammar?
1. One form is more logical than another, 2. There is an appeal to classical
forms, 3. There is a preference for older forms of the language, 4. There
is an injunction against the use of foreign words (words borrowed from
other languages).
What is descriptive grammar? Grammar that characterizes the actual language
of specific groups of people in a range of situations.
What type of grammarians are linguists? Descriptive grammarians.
How do descriptive linguists counter prescriptive claims? a. All varieties of a
language are valid systems with their own logic and conventions, b. There is no
scientific reason to expect one language to match the mold of another, c.
Languages are continually changing in subtle ways without reducing their
usefulness, preciseness or aesthetic value, d. All languages have adopted words
from other sources.
What are examples of descriptive rules? a. Articles like the and a precede nouns
in English, b. In English, adjectives come before nouns to modify them, c. The
word order in English is Subject + Verb + Object (SVO).
What are examples of prescriptive rules? a. Don't end a sentence with a
preposition, b. Don't split an infinitive, c. Don't use double negatives. Two
negatives equal a positive.
What is generality in grammar? All languages/dialects (and speakers/signers)
have a grammar; individual grammatical systems differ in the use of structure
formation rules.
What are the five characteristics of grammar? Generality, Parity, Mutability,
Inaccessibility, Universality.
What is parity? All grammars are equal. There is no such thing as a "primitive"
language.
What is mutability? Grammars change over time. Moreover, when grammars
change, they do so within strict limits.
, What is inaccessibility? Grammatical knowledge is unconscious. It cannot be
figured out just by thinking about it.
What is universality? All grammars are alike in basic ways in spite of apparent
distinctions; all languages share an inventory of principles and properties
(including the so-called universals).
What are examples of universality? a. All languages use a small set of
contrastive sounds to help distinguish words from each other, b. Any language
that has a [t͡ʃ] sound, almost certainly has a [t] sound.
What is a standard language? The variety of any given language spoken by the
most powerful group in a community.
What does an asterisk indicate? An ungrammatical sentence.
What are phonemes? Sounds that are considered the building blocks of
language; they carry no significant meaning—words do.
What is morphology in linguistics? The division of linguistics that looks at
words and their formation; deals with categorization of words, internal word
structures, and processes by which language creates and modifies words.
Where are simple words stored? In our lexicon.
What is a word? An element whose position is flexible relative to neighboring
units.
Are words always the smallest unit of meaning? No.
What is a word in linguistics? The smallest free form. A free form that can stand
on its own without having to be attached to any other element.
What are morphemes? Internal structures of smaller units of meanings that carry
some information about either function or meaning.
What is a simple word? Words that may be made up of a single morpheme
which cannot be further analyzed into smaller morphemes.
What are complex words? Words composed of two or more morphemes.
What are allomorphs? Morphemes that vary in pronunciation and these different
pronunciations depend on the context where the morphemes occur.
