Free Literary Terms and Devices MCQs with Answers

• A. Allophones
• B. Allomorphs
• C. Morpheme variants
• D. Minimal pairs

Explanation: The /k/ in kill is aspirated, whereas the /k/ in skill is normally unaspirated; these are context-dependent realizations of the same…

• A. Allophones
• B. Allomorphs
• C. Morpheme variants
• D. Minimal pairs

Explanation: The clear [l] generally occurs before a vowel, while the dark [ɫ] commonly occurs after a vowel or at the end of a syllable.

• A. To account by its rules for the infinite sentences of a language
• B. To be explicit about the grammaticality of sentences
• C. To predict all and the only possible grammatical sentences of a language
• D. All the above.

Explanation: A grammar must generate the potentially infinite sentences of a language, state clearly which sentences are grammatical, and exclude…

• A. Chomsky's "Syntactic Structures"
• B. Chomsky's "Aspects of the theory of Syntax"
• C. Leonard Bloomfield's "Language"
• D. Both "a' & "b"

Explanation: Chomsky introduced transformational-generative grammar in Syntactic Structures and developed its fuller theoretical framework in Aspects…

• A. Leonard Bloomfield & Noam Chomsky
• B. Leonard Bloomfield & Max__Muller
• C. Max__Muller & Herman Gundert
• D. Edward Sapir & Ferdinand de Saussure

Explanation: Leonard Bloomfield established the structuralist approach to Immediate Constituent analysis, while Noam Chomsky extended constituent…

• A. Portmanteau
• B. Onomatopoeia
• C. Clipping
• D. Metanalysis

Explanation: Clipping forms a shorter word by removing one or more syllables from a longer form, as in advertisement becoming ad.

• A. An adjective forming morpheme
• B. Plural morpheme
• C. Possessive morpheme
• D. Morpheme signaling third person singular.

Explanation: In she sings, the ending -s marks agreement with a third-person singular subject in the present tense.

• A. An adjective forming morpheme
• B. Plural morpheme
• C. Possessive morpheme
• D. Noun forming morpheme

Explanation: The suffix -or turns the verb act into the agent noun actor, so it is a noun-forming morpheme.

• A. An adjective forming morpheme
• B. Plural morpheme
• C. Possessive morpheme
• D. Past morpheme

Explanation: In John's book, -'s marks the relationship of possession, meaning the book belongs to John.

• A. An adjective forming morpheme
• B. Plural morpheme
• C. Possessive morpheme
• D. Past morpheme

Explanation: The suffix -ish derives the adjective childish from the noun child, with the sense of resembling or characteristic of a child.

• A. Allophones
• B. Allomorphs
• C. Minimal pairs
• D. None of the above

Explanation: The plural morpheme has different phonetic forms: /s/ in cats, /z/ in dogs, and /ɪz/ in boxes.

• A. A free morpheme
• B. Free variation
• C. Bound morpheme
• D. None of these

Explanation: Dog can stand independently as a complete word, so it is a free morpheme.

• A. Syllable
• B. Phoneme
• C. Morpheme
• D. Allomorph

Explanation: A morpheme is the smallest grammatical unit that carries meaning, such as un- in unhappy or -ed in walked.

• A. Bilabial
• B. Bilabial__nasal
• C. Velar
• D. Glottal

Explanation: The sound /m/ is produced with both lips closed, making it bilabial, and air passes through the nose, making it nasal.

• A. Only one
• B. Two
• C. Innumerable
• D. None of the above

Explanation: The two commonly recognized types are broad phonetic transcription, which gives general pronunciation, and narrow transcription, which…

• A. Alliteration
• B. Assonance
• C. Elision
• D. None of the above

Explanation: Elision is the omission of a sound or syllable, especially in rapid or connected speech, as in the reduced pronunciation of family.

• A. Stress
• B. Pitch
• C. Intonation
• D. JuncturE.

Explanation: Juncture concerns the boundaries or transitions between sounds and words, including the pauses that can separate units in speech.

• A. Only one
• B. Two
• C. Three
• D. Four

Explanation: English pronunciation normally marks two levels of stress: primary stress and secondary stress.

• A. Stress
• B. Pitch
• C. Intonation
• D. Juncture

Explanation: Stress is the relative force or prominence given to a syllable in speech, often supported by greater loudness, length, or pitch.

• A. Suprasegmentals
• B. Morphemes
• C. Allomorphs
• D. Allophones

Explanation: Suprasegmentals operate over stretches of speech rather than individual consonants or vowels, including stress, pitch, rhythm, and…