A Concise Introduction to Linguistics 6th Edition Answer Key | Complete Chapter Solutions & Study Guide 2026–2027

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,A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 6e Bruce Rowe, Diane Levine
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(Answer Key All Chapters, 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade)
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Chapter 1 b




Answers to exercises: End-of-chapter exercises
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1. It could be argued that the main function of communication is to create a change in the
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communicator’s behaviors. There are, of course, a large number of more specific
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functions, depending on the species communicating and the specific circumstances.
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2. Among other characteristics, all communications systems have a sender, a receiver, a
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channel (or channels) of communication, a code, and feedback possibilities.
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3. All living things communicate. Language is one type of communication—one that most
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linguistics would say is unique to humans.
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4. Linguistic competence is all of the knowledge of a language’s grammar and lexicon that an
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individual has stored in the brain. Most of this knowledge is subconscious.
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5. The sender is an organism that transmits a message (which is information) to a receiver
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who gets the message. A code is made up of units that are arranged in a specific way. To
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encode a message means to put those units into the proper pattern (for language, this
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would be called the grammar of the language). To decode a message means to ideally react
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to the message in the way it conforms in some way to the innate or learned purpose of the
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message. The channel of communication is the medium through which a message is
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transmitted. Communication is not simply a linear process. The receiver can become the
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sender by responding to the initial sender and sending their own message. The new
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receiver can than become the sender again, and so on. In other words, there can be
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feedback and feedback loops in communication. There can also be interference (noise) on
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the channel of communication that reduces the efficiency of the message. With animals
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that learn a portion of their code (as opposed to it being completely innate), there can be
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individual differences in how the message is sent and received. With humans, a person’s
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personality and their cultural background affect how a message is encoded and decoded,
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and therefore its meaning.
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6. A lexicon is composed of all of the meaningful units of a language. A personal lexicon is all of
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the vocabulary stored in the brain. A grammar is the set of rules used to combine the
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lexical items in a standard way. The lexicon is composed of meaningful units. The
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grammar is the code (pattern) used to arrange those units.
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7. Language, for most linguists, is a uniquely human cognitive system used to produce and
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understand precise meaningful utterances. Speech is an audible delivery system for
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language. Other delivery systems for language are signing and writing.
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8. Humans can communicate through language using speech, writing, or sign language.
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9. The terms verbal and vocal are not synonymous. To communicate verbally means to
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communicate using language. To communicate vocally means to communicate with
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sound (such as speech).
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,10. Although some researchers believe that some birds, such as Alex, can be taught some
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belements of language (in the broad sense of what language is defined to be), most
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bresearchers consider birds to be mimicking—that is, repeating what they hear without
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bunderstanding.
11. Productivity is the ability to communicate about something that one has not
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bcommunicated about before, and to react appropriately to a communicative act that one has
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bnot received before. A scout bee, finding food in a new location, will do a “dance” with the
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binformation about this new site of nectar, and other bees will go to the nectar.
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, This is productivity in its broad sense. Yet, as far as we know, bees cannot communicate in a
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bproductive away about things other than nectar. Hypothetically, humans can be b b b b b b b b b b




bproductive about any topic. b b b




12. See Table 1-1 in the book.
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13. Bird calls tend to be short and acoustically simple, and each is about a specific and
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bdifferent thing. Some birdcalls are not species specific. Bird songs tend to be long (some are
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bvery long), acoustically complex, and mostly used to attract a mate. Bird songs are species
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bspecific.
14. The Clever Hans effect refers to subtle, mostly subconscious, cueing of a nonhuman or
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bhuman subject. b




15. Note: The question asks students to construct a chart. Since the charts would vary
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bgreatly, we decided to give some basic facts in a non-chart fashion.
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16. Most linguists would not agree that apes can learn language. Some might agree that they
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bcan learn a little bit of language-type behavior in the broadest sense of the word language.
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bBut, no matter how long an ape is in an ape-language program (Washoe was in such a
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bprogram for almost 42 years), its vocabulary does not approach the size and diversity of a
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byoung child’s. A child learns their language (or languages) informally from the social
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benvironment. An ape has to be formally and continually taught and rewarded for its b b b b b b b b b b b b b




b“linguistic-type” behavior. Very few apes have learned anything that might be called b b b b b b b b b b b




bgrammar. When claims are made that an ape has learned a grammatical rule, it is a simple
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brule. Apes seldom get past using two signs in one communicative act. In other words, they
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bdo not learn to make constructions that might be called clauses or sentences. The apes
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bmake mistakes by using the wrong sign a significant number of times, even when they have
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bused the sign for years. A child seldom makes these types of mistake. A child would not call a
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bpen a chair once the child had thoroughly learned what those words refer to; an ape might
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buse the wrong sign for something it had learned over and over again. See the book for more
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bon this.
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