Master Syntax Basics: An Introduction to Syntax for Linguistics Students

Question 1

Generative grammar, a prominent approach in syntax, is characterized by which of the following assumptions?

Accepted Answer

Sentences are constructed based on a limited set of rules.

Answer

Language use should be the primary focus of study, rather than sentence generation.

Answer

Sentences primarily convey semantic information.

Answer

Sentence construction follows a bottom-up approach.

Question 2

The process of assigning grammatical functions to words in a sentence is known as:

Accepted Answer

Parsing

Answer

Chunking

Answer

Labelling

Answer

Tagging

Question 3

In corpus linguistics, a key method used for syntactic analysis is:

Accepted Answer

Annotation (adding linguistic information to text data)

Answer

Introspection (relying solely on one's own linguistic knowledge)

Answer

Tree diagramming (visual representation of sentence structure)

Answer

Sentence completion (predicting the next word in a sentence)

Question 4

The concept of 'recursion' in syntax refers to:

Accepted Answer

The ability for a sentence to contain another instance of itself

Answer

The repetition of a particular syntactic structure within a sentence

Answer

The use of recursive rules in generative grammar

Answer

The process of creating new words from existing ones

Question 5

Who is considered the 'father' of modern syntax, renowned for pioneering comparative linguistics and analyzing Indo-European languages?

Accepted Answer

Franz Bopp

Answer

Ferdinand de Saussure

Answer

Otto Jespersen

Answer

Leonard Bloomfield

Question 6

Which concept is not central to the study of syntax?

Accepted Answer

Morphology

Answer

Phrases

Answer

Clauses

Answer

Sentences

Question 7

In the context of syntax, the term 'constituent' refers to:

Accepted Answer

A group of words that function together as a meaningful unit within a sentence

Answer

A unit of language that can stand alone as a sentence

Answer

An element that can be replaced by a pronoun

Answer

A word that can be inflected for tense

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a type of syntactic error?

Accepted Answer

Spelling error

Answer

Agreement error

Answer

Pronoun error

Answer

Tense error

Question 9

What is the smallest unit of syntax that can stand alone as a complete thought?

Accepted Answer

Sentence

Answer

Phrase

Answer

Clause

Answer

Word

Question 10

What is the term for the connection between a constituent and its head?

Accepted Answer

Dependency

Answer

Government

Answer

Subordination

Answer

Modification

Question 11

What is the primary objective of generative syntax?

Accepted Answer

To describe the structure of all grammatically correct sentences

Answer

To explain language acquisition

Answer

To analyze the meaning of sentences

Answer

To create computer programs that can interpret natural language

Question 12

What is the field of study that examines the order of words in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

Syntax

Answer

Morphology

Answer

Phonology

Answer

Pragmatics

Question 13

Define syntax with precision.

Accepted Answer

The principles and rules that govern the order of words and phrases to form grammatically correct sentences.

Answer

The examination of word and phrase meanings.

Answer

The exploration of language usage in different contexts.

Question 14

Who is widely recognized for pioneering modern transformational grammar?

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky

Answer

Ferdinand de Saussure

Answer

Kenneth Pike

Answer

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Question 15

Which sentence exemplifies a complex sentence structure?

Accepted Answer

I visited the store because I needed milk.

Answer

The canine barked loudly.

Answer

The automobile is crimson.

Answer

The child ran swiftly.

Question 16

Which type of ambiguity arises from syntactic structures?

Accepted Answer

Structural ambiguity

Answer

Pragmatic ambiguity

Answer

Lexical ambiguity

Answer

Semantic ambiguity

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a major component of a sentence's syntactic structure?

Accepted Answer

Meaning

Answer

Phrases

Answer

Words

Answer

Clauses

Question 18

What is the key difference between a restrictive and a non-restrictive relative clause?

Accepted Answer

Restrictive clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence, while non-restrictive clauses provide additional, non-essential information.

Answer

Restrictive clauses are introduced by 'that', while non-restrictive clauses are introduced by 'which'.

Question 19

Which of the following is a central principle of generative syntax?

Accepted Answer

The use of abstract rules to generate sentences

Answer

The emphasis on word order

Answer

The focus solely on observable sentence structures

Question 20

What is the term for the hierarchical diagram that represents the structure of a sentence?

Accepted Answer

Tree diagram

Answer

Dependency grammar

Answer

Phrase structure rules

Answer

Constituent analysis

Question 21

Which of the following is a type of syntactic ambiguity that arises from the structure of a sentence?

Accepted Answer

Structural ambiguity

Answer

Semantic ambiguity

Answer

Lexical ambiguity

Answer

Pragmatic ambiguity

Question 22

How does context contribute to syntactic analysis?

Accepted Answer

It aids in resolving ambiguity and determining the correct interpretation of sentences.

Answer

It provides additional information that is not present in the sentence itself.

Answer

It alters the meaning of sentences.

Question 23

What is the primary objective of syntactic analysis?

Accepted Answer

To understand the structure and meaning of sentences

Answer

To identify grammatical errors

Answer

To translate sentences into other languages