All Free English Literature MCQs with Answers

• A. To study the nature of language
• B. To establish a theory of language
• C. To propound stories of the origin of language
• D. To describe a language and all languages

Explanation: Linguistics scientifically describes language, investigates its nature, and formulates theories about its structure.

• A. Systematic gathering and analysis of data
• B. Determination of causal relationship between facts
• C. Chronological presentation of data
• D. Verification, validation and generalization.

Explanation: Linguistics is scientific because it gathers data systematically, tests relationships, and verifies and generalizes findings.

• A. Socio__linguistics
• B. Psycho__linguistics
• C. Neuron__linguistics
• D. Physio -linguistics

Explanation: Psycholinguistics examines how mentally represented grammar is used when people produce and understand speech.

• A. Multilingual
• B. Poly__lingual
• C. Bilingual
• D. Poly__langual

Explanation: A multilingual person uses more than one language, and the term commonly includes someone who uses three or more languages.

• A. Dialect
• B. Idiolect
• C. Register
• D. Slang

Explanation: A dialect is a variety of language associated with a region or social group and may affect mutual intelligibility.

• A. Monologue
• B. Monolingual
• C. Monologal
• D. None of the above

Explanation: Monolingual means able to use only one language. Monologue refers to an extended speech by one person, so it is not the name for a…

• A. Dialect
• B. Idiolects
• C. Register
• D. Slang

Explanation: An idiolect is one person’s distinctive language variety; a dialect develops from shared features across a group of similar idiolects.

• A. Language
• B. Parole
• C. Competence
• D. Both langue and Competence

Explanation: Both Saussure’s langue and Chomsky’s competence refer to the underlying system of rules governing language, unlike parole, which is actual…

• A. Arbitrariness.
• B. Recursiveness
• C. Displacement
• D. TransferencE.

Explanation: Arbitrariness means that the sound or form of a linguistic sign has no natural connection with its meaning.

• A. Onomatopoeia
• B. Homophones
• C. Homonyms
• D. Portmanteau

Explanation: Onomatopoeia is an exception to complete arbitrariness because the word imitates or suggests the sound it denotes.

• A. Onomatopoeia
• B. Homophones
• C. Homonyms
• D. Portmanteau

Explanation: Onomatopoeia names words whose sounds imitate or represent their referents, as in buzz, hiss, and thud.

• A. The Yo__He__Ho Theory
• B. The Gesture theory
• C. The Poo__Pooh theory
• D. Ding__Dong theory.

Explanation: The Yo-He-Ho theory connects language with rhythmic cries made during collective physical labour, such as pulling or lifting together.

• A. Language is systematic
• B. Language is arbitrary
• C. Language is dynamic
• D. Language is instinctive.

Explanation: Language is acquired rather than instinctive: children learn it from their linguistic community.

• A. Noam Chomsky
• B. Ferdinand de Saussure
• C. Edward Sapir
• D. None of the above

Explanation: This definition emphasises that language can generate a finite or infinite number of sentences from a finite set of elements, a central…

• A. Syllabic consonants
• B. Sibilants
• C. Suffixes
• D. None of the above

Explanation: In bottle, cattle, and little, the final /l/ forms the nucleus of the last syllable without a separate vowel, so it is a syllabic…

• A. Allophones
• B. Homophones
• C. Homographs
• D. Homonyms

Explanation: Red/read, right/write, and site/sight have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings, so they are homophones.

• A. Allophones
• B. Homophones
• C. Homographs
• D. Homonyms

Explanation: Allophones are the different phonetic realisations of one phoneme that do not normally change the word's meaning.

• A. Approximants
• B. Laterals
• C. Sibilants
• D. Trills

Explanation: Semivowels such as /w/ and /j/ are produced with a narrowing of the vocal tract but without the friction of true fricatives, so they are…

• A. Two
• B. Three
• C. Four
• D. Five

Explanation: Malayalam has five basic nasal consonants, including bilabial /m/, dental or alveolar /n/, retroflex /ɳ/, palatal /ɲ/, and velar /ŋ/.

• A. Sibilant
• B. Lateral
• C. Nasal
• D. Semi__vowel

Explanation: The sound /l/ is produced with air escaping around the sides of the tongue, so it is classified as a lateral.