Key Terminology

Question 1

What is an idiolect, and how does it differ from a sociolect?

Answer 1

An idiolect is an individual’s unique language use, shaped by personal experiences and influences. Unlike a sociolect, which is tied to a social group, an idiolect is specific to one person.

Question 2

What is a sociolect, and what factors contribute to its variation?

Answer 2

A sociolect is the language variety used by a particular social group, influenced by factors like age, ethnicity, class, or profession.

Question 3

What is meant by the register of a text?

Answer 3

Register refers to the level of formality or style in a text, determined by the context of communication, including the field, mode, and tenor.

Question 4

In linguistic analysis, what does tenor refer to?

Answer 4

Tenor describes the relationship between the participants in communication, including their roles, social status, and emotional connection.

Question 5

What does the term field signify in analyzing the register of a text?

Answer 5

Field refers to the subject matter or topic being communicated.

Question 6

Define mode and give examples of different modes of communication.

Answer 6

Mode refers to the form of communication, such as spoken, written, or multimodal (combining visual and verbal elements).

Question 7

What is multimodality, and why is it significant in texts?

Answer 7

Multimodality involves combining different modes (e.g., text, images, audio) to convey meaning, commonly seen in advertisements or websites.

Question 8

What is the difference between deontic and epistemic modality?

Answer 8

• Deontic modality expresses necessity, permission, or obligation (e.g., ‘You must leave’).
• Epistemic modality conveys the speaker’s degree of certainty or belief about a statement (e.g., ‘It might rain’).

Question 9

What is an auxiliary verb, and what role does it play in a sentence?

Answer 9

An auxiliary verb supports the main verb to form tenses, questions, or negations (e.g., ‘have,’ ‘do,’ ‘will’).

Question 10

What is a declarative sentence, and what is its function?

Answer 10

A declarative sentence states information or facts (e.g., ‘The sky is blue’).

Question 11

Define an interrogative sentence and provide an example.

Answer 11

An interrogative sentence asks a question (e.g., ‘What time is it?’).

Question 12

What is an exclamative sentence, and what does it express?

Answer 12

An exclamative sentence conveys strong emotion or emphasis (e.g., ‘What a beautiful day!’).

Question 13

What is the function of an imperative sentence?

Answer 13

An imperative sentence issues a command, request, or instruction (e.g., ‘Close the door’).

Question 14

What is a discourse marker, and how is it used?

Answer 14

A discourse marker is a word or phrase (e.g., ‘however,’ ‘so,’ ‘anyway’) used to organize and structure communication.

Question 15

What does the term accent refer to in linguistics?

Answer 15

Accent describes the pronunciation patterns of a speaker, often associated with a specific region or social group.

Question 16

How is a dialect different from an accent?

Answer 16

A dialect includes not only pronunciation (accent) but also unique grammar and vocabulary of a particular region or social group.

Question 17

What is synthetic personalisation, and where is it commonly found?

Answer 17

Synthetic personalisation involves addressing a mass audience as individuals (e.g., ‘You’re worth it’), often seen in advertising.

Question 18

What is graphology, and how does it contribute to textual meaning?

Answer 18

Graphology examines the visual aspects of a text, such as font, layout, and images, to enhance communication.

Question 19

What is the difference between a lexical field and a semantic field?

Answer 19

• Lexical field: Words grouped by topic (e.g., ‘education’: school, teacher, homework).
• Semantic field: Words grouped by meaning (e.g., ‘light’: bright, dim, shining).

Question 20

What is a noun phrase, and how is it structured?

Answer 20

A noun phrase consists of a noun and its modifiers (e.g., ‘the tall building’).

Question 21

Define a verb phrase and give an example.

Answer 21

A verb phrase consists of a verb and any auxiliaries or modifiers (e.g., ‘is running quickly’).

Question 22

What are the differences between coordinate, subordinate, and conditional clauses?

Answer 22

• Coordinate: Independent clauses joined by a conjunction (e.g., ‘I went out, and she stayed home’).
• Subordinate: Dependent on a main clause (e.g., ‘Because it was late, I went home’).
• Conditional: Expresses a condition (e.g., ‘If it rains, we’ll stay inside’).

Question 23

What is a preposition, and what is its function?

Answer 23

A preposition shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another element (e.g., ‘on the table,’ ‘under the bed’).

Question 24

What is an adverbial, and what does it modify?

Answer 24

An adverbial provides additional information about time, manner, place, or reason, often modifying the verb (e.g., ‘She sang beautifully yesterday’).

Question 25

What is syntax, and why is it important in linguistics?

Answer 25

Syntax is the study of sentence structure and the rules governing word order and grammatical relationships.

Question 26

Define syntactic parallelism and explain its effect in texts.

Answer 26

Syntactic parallelism is the repetition of sentence structures for emphasis or rhythm (e.g., ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’).

Question 27

What is jargon, and how does it function within specific groups?

Answer 27

Jargon is specialized language used within a particular profession or group to communicate efficiently.

Question 28

What is pseudo-jargon, and where might it be found?

Answer 28

Pseudo-jargon mimics technical language but lacks genuine meaning, often found in advertising or pseudo-scientific claims.

Question 29

What is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and why is it important?

Answer 29

The IPA is a system of symbols representing the sounds of spoken language, allowing accurate transcription across languages.

Question 30

What is meant by discourse structure, and why is it significant in text analysis?

Answer 30

Discourse structure refers to the organization of ideas in spoken or written texts, contributing to coherence and meaning.

Question 31

What does phonology study, and how does it contribute to our understanding of language?

Answer 31

Phonology studies the sound systems of a language, focusing on patterns, contrasts, and how sounds convey meaning within a particular linguistic system.

Question 32

What is the difference between dynamic and stative verbs?

Answer 32

• Dynamic verbs describe actions or processes that involve change (e.g., ‘run,’ ‘write,’ ‘grow’).
• Stative verbs describe states, conditions, or feelings that are static or unchanging (e.g., ‘know,’ ‘love,’ ‘belong’).

Question 33

What are pre-modifiers and post-modifiers, and how are they used in noun phrases?

Answer 33

• Pre-modifiers come before the noun to add detail or description (e.g., ‘the red car’).
• Post-modifiers come after the noun, often adding additional information or qualification (e.g., ‘the car in the garage’).

Question 34

What is the active voice, and how does it affect the tone of a sentence?

Answer 34

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action (e.g., ‘The dog chased the cat’). It often creates a more direct, dynamic tone.

Question 35

What is the passive voice, and how does it differ from the active voice?

Answer 35

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action (e.g., ‘The cat was chased by the dog’). It can make the tone more formal or obscure the agent of the action.

Question 36

What are ethos, pathos, and logos, and how are they used in rhetoric?

Answer 36

• Ethos appeals to the speaker’s credibility or character (e.g., ‘As a doctor, I recommend…’).
• Pathos appeals to emotions to persuade the audience (e.g., ‘Imagine the pain of losing a loved one’).
• Logos appeals to logic and reason through evidence and argumentation (e.g., ‘Studies show a 40% increase in…’).