TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGÂN HÀNG TP.

HỒ CHÍ MINH
KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ
ĐỀ THI KẾT THÚC HỌC PHẦN
Tên học phần: Ngữ Nghĩa học; Số tín chỉ: 2
Lớp (hoặc khối lớp): ĐHAV
Thời gian: 30 phút (không tính thời gian phát đề)

Câu 1: (2.5 điểm)

Does the verb ‘be’ in following sentences function as an identity predicate or as a

grammatical device for linking a non-verbal predicate to its first argument?
a. Fahd is happy.
b. A camel is an animal.
c. Abdullah ibnAbdulaziz al Saud is the king of Saudi Arabia.

Câu 2: (2.5 điểm)

Does it make sense to say that the verb be has a meaning of its own, independent of whether
it is used as a linking device or as the identity predicate? Speculate about what it could mean,
and don't be concerned if your answer is quite abstract. Many lexical items in the world's
languages have very abstract meanings.

Câu 3: (2.5 điểm)

Which of the following are generic sentences? Explain.

a. Americans like to eat apple pie.
b. Fred likes to buy Uzis.
c. A bird lays eggs.
d. My pet finch just laid an egg.

Câu 4: (2.5 điểm)

Language can create unreal worlds. Explain with the help of an example.

Những lưu ý: - Sinh viên không được sử dụng tài liệu.

- Cán bộ coi thi không giải thích gì thêm.
Nguyễn Thị Kim Cúc 030435190025
Mid-term
Câu 1
a) Grammatical device
b) Grammatical device
c) Identity predicator
Câu 2
Yes, the verb “be” has a meaning of its own.
For example:
-The verb “be” expresses the identity of the referents of two different referring expressions.
-She is a doctor , so ‘is’ here can be interpreted as ‘works as’
Câu 3
a) Americans like to eat apple pie. → is generic sentence because this statement is made
about a whole unrestricted “ Americans”
b) Fred likes to buy Uzis. → not a generic sentence because it refers to a particular individual
is “Fred”
c) A bird lays eggs. → is generic sentence because this statement is made about a whole
unrestricted “ bird”
d) My pet finch just laid an egg. → not a generic sentence because it refers to a particular
individual is “speaker’s pet”
Câu 4
Explain:
Even non-fiction creates an interpretation of the world, the words are an approximation of
what happened, and in each person's mind there is a slightly different imagining of what
happened, this imagining is not the real world.
Example:
Theist: ‘Diseases must serve some good purpose, or God would not allow them’
Atheist: ‘I cannot accept your premisses’
Here the theist is operating with a universe of discourse which is a world in
which God exists. The atheist’s assumed universe of discourse is a world in
which God does not exist.