Chapter 5: Syntax(MCQs)

 

Chapter 5 Syntax

MCQs

1. What is the basic unit studied in syntax?
A) Phoneme
B) Morpheme
C) Sentence
D) Paragraph
Answer: C

2. Which of the following is NOT a type of sentence?
A) Simple sentence
B) Compound sentence
C) Complex sentence
D) Morphological sentence
Answer: D

3. In the sentence The boy runs, the boy is the:
A) Predicate
B) Subject
C) Object
D) Verb phrase
Answer: B

4. What does a phrase structure rule do?
A) Defines word order in sentences
B) Changes sentence meaning
C) Creates new morphemes
D) Analyzes sounds in speech
Answer: A

5. According to phrase structure rules, a sentence (S) consists of:
A) VP + NP
B) NP + VP
C) Adj + NP
D) Det + N
Answer: B

6. Which phrase is headed by a noun?
A) Verb phrase
B) Prepositional phrase
C) Noun phrase
D) Adjective phrase
Answer: C

7. What is the head of the prepositional phrase on the table?
A) on
B) table
C) the
D) phrase
Answer: A

8. The phrase very quickly is an example of:
A) Noun phrase
B) Verb phrase
C) Adverb phrase
D) Prepositional phrase
Answer: C

9. In the phrase structure rule NP → (Det) + (AdjP) + N + (PP), what does (Det) stand for?
A) Determiner
B) Determined phrase
C) Destination
D) Declension
Answer: A

10. What does the term constituent mean in syntax?
A) A sound unit
B) A group of words functioning as a unit
C) A type of sentence
D) A morpheme
Answer: B

11. Which of the following is a test for constituency?
A) Repetition
B) Substitution
C) Derivation
D) Inflection
Answer: B

12. In the sentence She ate the cake, the cake is:
A) Subject
B) Predicate
C) Object
D) Adverbial
Answer: C

13. Which node is the highest in a syntactic tree for a sentence?
A) VP
B) NP
C) S
D) PP
Answer: C

14. Which phrase structure rule corresponds to the verb phrase?
A) VP → V + NP
B) VP → NP + V
C) VP → Det + N
D) VP → Adj + N
Answer: A

15. In the tree diagram, branches show:
A) Phoneme sequences
B) How constituents are structured hierarchically
C) Word order only
D) Sentence length
Answer: B

16. The sentence The dog chased the cat is:
A) Simple
B) Compound
C) Complex
D) Fragment
Answer: A

17. A compound sentence contains:
A) One independent clause
B) Two or more independent clauses
C) One dependent clause
D) No clauses
Answer: B

18. What is the result of the passive transformation of The chef cooked the meal?
A) The chef was cooked by the meal
B) The meal cooked the chef
C) The meal was cooked by the chef
D) Cooked was the meal by chef
Answer: C

19. In question formation, what moves to the front?
A) Subject noun
B) Main verb
C) Auxiliary verb
D) Object noun
Answer: C

20. Which of the following is a yes/no question?
A) What is she doing?
B) Is she coming?
C) Where are you?
D) Why did he leave?
Answer: B

21. Which of the following is an example of a wh-question?
A) Are you coming?
B) Who is there?
C) She is coming.
D) He left early.
Answer: B

22. What is topicalization in syntax?
A) Moving a word or phrase to the beginning of a sentence for emphasis
B) Forming questions
C) Changing passive to active
D) Adding an auxiliary verb
Answer: A

23. The phrase on the mat is a:
A) Noun phrase
B) Prepositional phrase
C) Verb phrase
D) Adjective phrase
Answer: B

24. What is the function of the subject in a sentence?
A) Performs the action
B) Receives the action
C) Modifies the verb
D) Expresses time
Answer: A

25. The phrase the big dog is an example of:
A) Noun phrase
B) Verb phrase
C) Prepositional phrase
D) Adjective phrase
Answer: A

26. Which of these is NOT part of a basic sentence?
A) Subject
B) Predicate
C) Modifier
D) Adverbial
Answer: C

27. The phrase very happy is headed by:
A) Very
B) Happy
C) Both
D) Neither
Answer: B

28. What does the auxiliary verb do in passive sentences?
A) Indicates tense
B) Changes word order
C) Replaces the main verb
D) Marks negation
Answer: A

29. What is the direct object in She gave him a book?
A) She
B) Him
C) Book
D) Gave
Answer: C

30. Which transformation turns an active sentence into a passive sentence?
A) Movement
B) Deletion
C) Passive transformation
D) Insertion
Answer: C

31. In a tree diagram, what does the label VP represent?
A) Verb phrase
B) Verb particle
C) Verb participle
D) Verb phrase and predicate
Answer: A

32. Which of the following phrases is headed by a verb?
A) quickly
B) running fast
C) the girl
D) on the street
Answer: B

33. A complex sentence always contains:
A) Two or more independent clauses
B) One independent clause and at least one dependent clause
C) Only dependent clauses
D) No clauses
Answer: B

34. What is the function of the prepositional phrase with a telescope in She saw the bird with a telescope?
A) Subject
B) Object
C) Adverbial
D) Complement
Answer: C

35. The passive sentence usually contains which of the following?
A) Active verb form
B) Auxiliary verb + past participle
C) Infinitive form of the verb
D) Present participle
Answer: B

36. Which of these is an example of negation?
A) She does not like ice cream.
B) Does she like ice cream?
C) She likes ice cream.
D) Ice cream is liked.
Answer: A

37. The phrase the tall man contains:
A) Determiner + noun
B) Determiner + adjective + noun
C) Adjective + noun
D) Noun only
Answer: B

38. What kind of phrase is running quickly?
A) Noun phrase
B) Verb phrase
C) Adjective phrase
D) Prepositional phrase
Answer: B

39. In a tree diagram, the root node is usually labeled:
A) S
B) NP
C) VP
D) PP
Answer: A

40. Which of the following is true about auxiliary verbs?
A) They can stand alone as main verbs
B) They help form questions and passive sentences
C) They never appear in questions
D) They are nouns
Answer: B

41. Which of the following sentences is an example of a passive sentence?
A) The dog chased the cat.
B) The cat was chased by the dog.
C) The dog is chasing the cat.
D) The cat chases the dog.
Answer: B

42. Which of the following is NOT a phrase type?
A) NP
B) VP
C) TP
D) SP
Answer: D

43. In syntax, what does the term movement mean?
A) Adding a word
B) Changing word order by shifting constituents
C) Removing a morpheme
D) Forming new words
Answer: B

44. The wh-word in What did you eat? functions as:
A) Subject
B) Object
C) Question word
D) Auxiliary verb
Answer: C

45. Which phrase type is the following phrase: very happy?
A) Adjective phrase
B) Noun phrase
C) Verb phrase
D) Prepositional phrase
Answer: A

46. Which of the following is a constituent?
A) On the table
B) Runs quickly
C) Happy
D) All of the above
Answer: D

47. A complement in syntax is:
A) A phrase that completes the meaning of a predicate
B) An adverb
C) A conjunction
D) A type of subject
Answer: A

48. What is the subject in John gave Mary a book?
A) Mary
B) John
C) Book
D) Gave
Answer: B

49. The process of forming questions by moving an auxiliary verb to the front is called:
A) Negation
B) Transformation
C) Passive formation
D) Derivation
Answer: B

50. Which of the following best describes a tree diagram in syntax?
A) A list of words in a sentence
B) A graphical representation of the hierarchical structure of a sentence
C) A list of phonemes
D) A morphological breakdown of a word
Answer: B