ENG100: INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS

Diagnostic Test
Name: _________________ Score: _______________
Course & Year: __________ Date: ________________

TEST I: MULTIPLE CHOICE

Read the following statements and encircle the letter of the correct answer. (1 pt. each)
1. What is the main component of phonology that phonologists use to predict how speech
sounds will change?
a. Phonological rules
b. Phonological Syntax
c. Phonetics rules
d. None of the above
2. How does phonology differ from phonetics?
a. Phonetics is only concerned with speech sounds in isolation, and phonology is more
focused on how speech sounds change and behave when in a syllable, word, or sentence.
b. Phonology is only concerned with speech sounds in isolation, and phonetics is more
focused on how sounds change and behave when in a syllable, word, or sentence.
c. Phonology requires a Ph.D. to study it and phonetics can be studied with a bachelor's
degree.
d. The two terms are synonyms.
3. Which is an example of a phonological rule?
a. A final 's' sound in a word depends on what speech sound immediately precedes it.
b. Your throat vibrates when you say the word 'helps.'
c. Words that end in 'g' all rhyme.
d. All English speakers delete the final 'g' sound on all words.
4. What is phonology?
a. The study of grammatical rules
b. The study of speech sounds and how they change in different contexts
c. None of the answers are correct
d. The study of telecommunications
5. Vowels and consonants are examples of __________.
a. Suffixes
b. Prefixes
c. Phonemes
d. Morphemes
6. Which of the following BEST explains why the alarm calls made by vervet monkeys should
not be considered language?
a. They are made up of only a few words and modifiers
b. They include just one call for a variety of dangers
c. They demonstrate a complex and interchangeable variety of calls
d. They can't be combined to produce additional meanings
7. Which of the following would be considered an example of language according to principle
of combinability?
a. The context of a text message
b. Your alarm clock blaring in the morning
c. A door bell ringing when pressed
d. Your phone beeping when you have a new call
8. How could you BEST describe the role that grammar plays in language?
a. Grammar enables complexity of meaning in language
b. Grammar is not essential to language and is only present in certain ones.
c. Grammar allows us to combine calls.
d. Grammar is a system of rules you learn in English class.
9. How do you use pragmatics to interpret a sign that says Luggage must be carried on the
escalator?
a. The phrase does not use pragmatics.
b. If you are taking the escalator and you have luggage, it should be carried and not rolled
on to the escalator.
c. You must find some luggage to carry to use the escalator.
d. You must get your luggage from check-in to use the escalator.
10. What term refers to a common type of pragmatic language use?
a. ambiguous
b. linguistics
c. language
d. conversational implicature
11. What does conversational implicature mean?
a. confusing your listener
b. being ambiguous
c. process in which the speaker implies and a listener infers
d. vague or unclear meaning
12. What is the implication when someone asks you How are you?
a. to explain your mood and how it has changed throughout the day
b. to res.
c. pond with all the specific details of what is happening to you
d. to give a true account of how your life is going
e. to respond with a broad statement and not give a real account of how your life is going
13. Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?
a. My daughter and I watched and laughed.
b. Even though he apologized, I couldn’t forget what he did.
c. He had to do his homework, so he couldn’t go to her party.
d. Jose liked Tina’s new book very much.
14. Which of the following best defines a compound-complex sentence?
a. A compound-complex sentence consists of two dependent clauses and one independent
clause.
b. Compound-complex sentences are a combination of two or three simple sentences.
c. A compound-complex sentence contains one independent clause and one dependent
clause.
d. A compound-complex sentence contains two independent clauses and at least one
dependent clause.
15. Which of the following sentences is an example of a grammatically correct simple sentence?
a. Bought a beautiful house in a small town near Colorado Springs.
b. Anthony, Jose, Jerry, and Lily saw the new Avengers movie last Sunday.
c. My wife and I got a new car but she didn't like it.
d. Tim is driving, and Ana is drinking coffee.

TEST II: FILL IN THE BLANKS

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or the past perfect form of the verbs in the brackets.
(10 marks)
Example: I went (go) to London last week. I had been (be) there twice before.

1.George ________________ (finish) his lunch when his friends ______________ (arrive) at the
restaurant.
2.We _________________ (travel) around all of Europe by the time we _______________
(stop) in Paris.
3.Michael __________ (be) very happy because he ______________ (receive) a letter from his
best friend.
4.When I had saved enough money I ___________________ (buy) a new bike.
5.The child ______________ (have) a nightmare because he _______________________
(watch) a horror film.
Test III: TRUE OR FALSE

Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Use the space provided before each item.
(1 pt. each)
________ 1. Highly intelligent people are good language learners.
________ 2. The best predictor of success in SLA (second language acquisition) is motivation
________ 3. Most of the mistakes that second language learners make are due to interference
from
their first language.
________ 4. Once learners know roughly 1,000 words and the basic structure of a second
language,
they can easily participate in conversations with native speakers.
________ 5. Learners’ errors should be corrected as soon as they are made in order to prevent
the
formation of bad habits.

TEST IV: READING COMPREHENSION

Read the texts given below. Look at the text in each question. What does it say? Underline the
correct answer:
Example:

a) Anita wants Marcus to apologize to John.

b) Anita wants John to apologize to Marcus.
c) Anita wants to apologize to John

1. Rachel phoned. She said she’s already been to the new Indian restaurant and that it’s no
good. Shall we try the Thai? She’ll be in between 6.30 and 9.00. Can you speak to her?
Rita

a) Rita wants to go to the Indian restaurant.

b) Rachel didn’t like the Indian restaurant.
c) They don’t think the Thai restaurant is better.

2. To: All marketing staff

From: Andrew Jacobson
Subject: Tomorrow’s meeting
Dear team,
As we discussed, the new publicity campaign has to make it clear that the new software
comes FREE with the computer. I would also like you to stress that there is a three-year
guarantee included in the price too.
Looking forward to hearing your ideas,
Andy

a) Andy wants a free computer.

b) Customers don’t have to pay for the new software when they buy the computer.
c) Customers can pay for the computer in three years.
3. Dear Molly,
We’re having a lovely time here. Yesterday we visited an island and we sat on the beach and
saw the most beautiful sunset. Mike had already visited the island but he says that with me he
saw it in a different way.
See you soon,
Georgia

a) Mike wants to visit a different island.

b) Georgia wants to visit the island in a different way.
c) Mike thought the island was more interesting when he visited it with Georgia.

4. Doctor Morton is not in the surgery this week. For urgent appointments please contact Dr
Thomas on 0986 546707. For any other problems, Dr Morton will be back on Monday.

a) Dr Morton is away all week.

b) Dr Thomas is a surgeon.
c) If you have an urgent problem you have to wait until Monday.

5. Rick, if you hadn’t been so stupid last night, we wouldn’t have got into trouble. You have
to phone my parents and explain. They are very worried. Do it NOW!! Simon

a) Simon behaved stupidly and got into trouble.

b) Rick wants to speak to Simon parents.
c) Simon thinks it was Rick’s fault that they got into trouble.

“Don’t stress, Do your best, Forget the rest!”

Prepared by: Ms. Alviola