Language and Power

Question 1

Name French and Raven’s 5 bases of power.

Answer 1

Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Expert, Referent

Question 2

Which base of power relies on knowledge or skills?

Answer 2

Expert power

Question 3

What is ‘coercive power’?

Answer 3

Power based on the ability to punish or impose negative consequences

Question 4

Which base of power is most linked to role or position?

Answer 4

Legitimate power

Question 5

What is instrumental power?

Answer 5

Power used to enforce authority, often through rules, laws, or commands

Question 6

What is influential power?

Answer 6

Power used to persuade or influence people’s beliefs or behavior

Question 7

Which type of power is used in laws and rules?

Answer 7

Instrumental power

Question 8

Which type of power persuades rather than enforces?

Answer 8

Influential power

Question 9

How does deontic modality create power in a text?

Answer 9

Deontic modality expresses obligations or permissions (e.g., ‘must,’ ‘should’), asserting authority or control

Question 10

How does epistemic modality create power in a text?

Answer 10

Epistemic modality expresses certainty or doubt (e.g., ‘might,’ ‘will’), shaping perceptions and controlling interpretations

Question 11

Which type of modality is used in: ‘You must complete this task’? Explain its effect on power.

Answer 11

Deontic modality; it asserts authority and imposes an obligation on the listener

Question 12

Give one example of power in family discourse.

Answer 12

Parents using imperatives to instruct children, e.g., ‘Clean your room’

Question 13

What type of questions assert power in conversations?

Answer 13

Leading questions or rhetorical questions

Question 14

What is an adjacency pair?

Answer 14

A conversational exchange where one speaker’s utterance prompts a predictable response (e.g., question → answer)

Question 15

How does turn-taking show power?

Answer 15

Controlling turn-taking can dominate a conversation, silencing or marginalizing others

Question 16

What is jargon? (Norman Fairclough)

Answer 16

Specialized language used by specific groups, often to maintain power or exclusivity

Question 17

What is pseudo-jargon? (Jean Aitchison)

Answer 17

Overcomplicated or made-up language that mimics jargon, used to impress or confuse

Question 18

How can jargon create power imbalances?

Answer 18

It excludes those who lack knowledge of the terms, establishing the speaker’s authority

Question 19

Why might professionals use jargon?

Answer 19

To communicate precisely within their field or to maintain authority

Question 20

What is overt prestige? (Labov)

Answer 20

Status gained by using the standard or widely accepted form of language

Question 21

What is covert prestige? (Labov)

Answer 21

Status gained by using non-standard forms valued within a specific social group

Question 22

Why might someone use language with covert prestige?

Answer 22

To gain acceptance or solidarity within a social group

Question 23

Which type of prestige reinforces standard forms of language?

Answer 23

Overt prestige

Question 24

What is an imperative?

Answer 24

A command or directive, e.g., ‘Close the door’

Question 25

What does an interruption signal in conversation?

Answer 25

It can assert dominance or challenge another speaker’s control

Question 26

Which rhetorical device repeats words for emphasis?

Answer 26

Repetition

Question 27

What is one way politeness strategies reduce power imbalances?

Answer 27

Using hedges (e.g., ‘perhaps’) or apologies to soften commands or requests

Question 28

How does Norman Fairclough link power to discourse?

Answer 28

He argues that language is a tool for maintaining or challenging power, especially in institutional contexts