Chapter 7: Pragmatics (MCQs)

 

 

 

Chapter 7:      Pragmatics

MCQs

1. Pragmatics studies:
A) Sentence structure
B) Meaning in context
C) Word formation
D) Sound patterns
Answer: B

2. The study of how language is used in social contexts is called:
A) Syntax
B) Semantics
C) Pragmatics
D) Morphology
Answer: C

3. Which of the following is NOT part of context in pragmatics?
A) Physical environment
B) Social relationship
C) Sentence length
D) Cultural background
Answer: C

4. What kind of act is performed by saying "I apologize"?
A) Locutionary act
B) Illocutionary act
C) Perlocutionary act
D) Grammatical act
Answer: B

5. The actual effect an utterance has on a listener is called:
A) Locutionary act
B) Illocutionary act
C) Perlocutionary act
D) Semantic act
Answer: C

6. Which speech act is a promise?
A) Assertive
B) Directive
C) Commissive
D) Expressive
Answer: C

7. "Close the door" is an example of a:
A) Directive speech act
B) Assertive speech act
C) Commissive speech act
D) Expressive speech act
Answer: A

8. Saying "I hereby pronounce you husband and wife" is a:
A) Declaration
B) Directive
C) Commissive
D) Assertive
Answer: A

9. Conversational implicature depends on:
A) The literal meaning of words
B) The context and maxims of conversation
C) Grammatical rules
D) Phonological rules
Answer: B

10. Grice’s maxims include all EXCEPT:
A) Quantity
B) Quality
C) Manner
D) Syntax
Answer: D

11. Which maxim is violated when someone gives too much information?
A) Quantity
B) Quality
C) Relation
D) Manner
Answer: A

12. If someone says "It’s getting cold in here" implying "Close the window," this is an example of:
A) Presupposition
B) Direct speech act
C) Implicature
D) Deixis
Answer: C

13. The sentence "John stopped smoking" presupposes that:
A) John smokes now
B) John never smoked
C) John used to smoke
D) John likes smoking
Answer: C

14. Presuppositions are:
A) Explicitly stated
B) Assumptions taken for granted
C) False statements
D) Irrelevant to communication
Answer: B

15. Which is an example of person deixis?
A) Here
B) Now
C) You
D) That
Answer: C

16. The word there in "The book is over there" is an example of:
A) Person deixis
B) Place deixis
C) Time deixis
D) Social deixis
Answer: B

17. "Tomorrow" is an example of:
A) Person deixis
B) Place deixis
C) Time deixis
D) Discourse deixis
Answer: C

18. When someone says "This is important" referring to part of a conversation, it is:
A) Person deixis
B) Discourse deixis
C) Place deixis
D) Social deixis
Answer: B

19. Titles like sir and madam are examples of:
A) Social deixis
B) Place deixis
C) Time deixis
D) Discourse deixis
Answer: A

20. The phrase "I will meet you here" contains:
A) Person deixis only
B) Place deixis only
C) Person and place deixis
D) Time deixis only
Answer: C

21. Which of the following is NOT a speech act?
A) Assertive
B) Directive
C) Morphological
D) Commissive
Answer: C

22. An utterance’s locutionary act refers to:
A) The intended effect on the listener
B) The act of producing a meaningful utterance
C) The social context
D) The implied meaning
Answer: B

23. The illocutionary act of asking a question is classified as a:
A) Directive
B) Assertive
C) Commissive
D) Expressive
Answer: A

24. "I promise to help you" is a:
A) Directive
B) Commissive
C) Assertive
D) Declaration
Answer: B

25. When someone says “Can you pass the salt?” in a polite request, this is an example of:
A) Literal question
B) Speech act with indirect meaning
C) Presupposition
D) Deixis
Answer: B

26. The assumption that the speaker follows cooperative principles in conversation is called:
A) Pragmatic principle
B) Cooperative principle
C) Illocutionary principle
D) Deictic principle
Answer: B

27. Violating the maxim of relation means:
A) Being irrelevant
B) Giving false information
C) Being unclear
D) Saying too little
Answer: A

28. Which type of deixis relates to social status and politeness?
A) Person deixis
B) Social deixis
C) Time deixis
D) Place deixis
Answer: B

29. The phrase next week is an example of:
A) Temporal deixis
B) Spatial deixis
C) Person deixis
D) Discourse deixis
Answer: A

30. In "She is late," the pronoun she is:
A) Person deixis
B) Place deixis
C) Time deixis
D) Discourse deixis
Answer: A

31. Which of the following is a perlocutionary effect?
A) Saying "I’m sorry"
B) Making someone feel forgiven
C) Asking a question
D) Stating a fact
Answer: B

32. When the meaning depends on who is speaking, it is an example of:
A) Semantic meaning
B) Pragmatic meaning
C) Phonology
D) Morphology
Answer: B

33. "That" in "That was amazing" referring to a previous statement is:
A) Place deixis
B) Person deixis
C) Discourse deixis
D) Social deixis
Answer: C

34. The phrase "Please close the window" is a:
A) Commissive
B) Directive
C) Assertive
D) Expressive
Answer: B

35. Saying "It’s cold here" to imply "Close the window" is an example of:
A) Presupposition
B) Implicature
C) Deixis
D) Speech act
Answer: B

36. Presupposition is triggered by:
A) Questions only
B) Certain words or structures
C) Speech acts only
D) Deixis only
Answer: B

37. The phrase "He stopped smoking" presupposes that:
A) He currently smokes
B) He used to smoke
C) He never smoked
D) None of the above
Answer: B

38. Which is NOT a Gricean maxim?
A) Quantity
B) Quality
C) Timing
D) Manner
Answer: C

39. Speech acts that express emotions or attitudes are called:
A) Assertives
B) Expressives
C) Declarations
D) Directives
Answer: B

40. The study of how listeners infer additional meaning beyond the literal meaning is called:
A) Phonology
B) Syntax
C) Pragmatics
D) Morphology
Answer: C

41. An utterance that changes the world by its very saying is a:
A) Commissive
B) Declaration
C) Directive
D) Assertive
Answer: B

42. "I hereby declare the meeting open" is an example of:
A) Expressive
B) Declarative speech act
C) Directive
D) Commissive
Answer: B

43. The principle that speakers should be truthful is called the maxim of:
A) Quantity
B) Quality
C) Relation
D) Manner
Answer: B

44. The maxim of manner requires speakers to be:
A) Truthful
B) Relevant
C) Clear and orderly
D) Informative
Answer: C

45. Saying "The cat is on the mat" assumes the listener knows:
A) Where the cat is
B) That there is a cat and a mat
C) What a cat is
D) All of the above
Answer: D

46. The phrase "Look at this" is an example of:
A) Person deixis
B) Place deixis
C) Discourse deixis
D) Social deixis
Answer: C

47. In pragmatics, implicature is:
A) The explicit meaning of words
B) The meaning inferred but not stated
C) A type of speech act
D) A grammatical structure
Answer: B

48. Deictic expressions require:
A) Prior knowledge
B) Context for interpretation
C) Grammatical analysis
D) Phonological rules
Answer: B

49. Which of these utterances is a directive speech act?
A) "I’m sorry for being late."
B) "Could you open the window?"
C) "I promise to help you."
D) "It’s raining outside."
Answer: B

50. The sentence "Did you finish your homework?" is an example of:
A) Directive speech act
B) Commissive speech act
C) Interrogative speech act
D) Assertive speech act
Answer: C