Structure and Linguistics Flashcards

Which linguistic concept explains why English speakers say 'unbelievable' but not 'inbelievable'?

Answer: Morphological conditioning

Morphological conditioning determines which allomorphs of a morpheme (un- vs. in-) attach to specific root words.

A student says 'She goed to the store.' This error best illustrates:

Answer: Overgeneralization of a grammatical rule

Overgeneralization occurs when learners apply a regular rule (add -ed for past tense) to irregular verbs.

The term 'phoneme' refers to:

Answer: The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning

A phoneme is the smallest sound unit that can differentiate meaning, such as /p/ and /b/ in 'pat' vs. 'bat.'

Which of the following best describes 'discourse competence'?

Answer: Ability to connect sentences into coherent text or conversation

Discourse competence involves the ability to combine sentences and utterances into cohesive and coherent extended text.

In transformational generative grammar, 'deep structure' refers to:

Answer: The underlying abstract meaning before transformation

Deep structure is the abstract level of grammatical structure that underlies surface forms and represents semantic relationships.

An ELL student correctly uses English grammar in isolated exercises but makes errors in spontaneous speech. This reflects the distinction between:

Answer: Competence and performance

Competence is internalized knowledge of language rules, while performance is actual language use, which can be affected by stress or distraction.

Which feature of academic English most distinguishes it from conversational English?

Answer: Higher frequency of passive voice and nominalization

Academic English frequently uses passive constructions and nominalizations (e.g., 'investigation' instead of 'investigate') to achieve formality and objectivity.