Exam 4: How We Use Language

If you can trace the progression of an idea from living creatures, to animals, to mammals, to canines, to cocker spaniels, to your pet named Lucy, what are you following?

There are web sites and organizations that organize card drives, sending thousands of cards are sent to American troops overseas. Besides the support these cards express, what else do they provide through the power of language?

According to the _________________, we should feel a sense of duty to help individuals who have helped us in the past.

"Subway-Eat Fresh"is an example of

Peter Gordon, a psycholinguist at Columbia University, studied Brazil's Pirahas tribe and their use of language. He found they had very few words for time and no words for numbers or numerical ideas. His study, published in the journal Science, found that the Pirahas were incapable of doing basic math, and in fact, they were incapable of learning even the concept of numbers, despite eight months of tutoring. The fact that this tribe of people could not conceive of something for which they had no vocabulary reflects what principle?

The character of Yoda is a favorite of many Star Wars fans, both for his odd looks and his unique use of the English language. Changing the conventional order of words in a sentence, Yoda might say, "Help you I can, yes" instead of "Yes, I can help you". The uniqueness of Yoda's speech is an example of what type of deviation from English language rules?

___________ rules deal with the implication or interpretation of statements.

Which of the following uses of language is least likely to diminish your credibility?

Kelly asks her mother for "some" money before she goes on a trip with friends. Kelly is disappointed when her mother gives her twenty dollars, because by "some" Money she was expecting about five times as much. Kelly's language lacked clarity, and was therefore

When you say what you dislike about your brother's new girlfriend, you are expressing

Although we sometimes ______________ about people's positive qualities, research shows that we are far more likely to talk with others about a person's negative features or behaviors.

You are arguing with your cousin and getting frustrated because she does not seem to understand what you are saying. Instead of saying, "You are not listening to me", you state, "I don't think I'm being clear". You have used what principle of effectively using language?

The Ashanti tribe in Africa has a proverb that says, "The poor man and the rich man do not play together". This proverb not only influences the ways tribal members see the world, but also reflects the attitudes and behaviors of the tribe's people. This example illustrates what concept?

Excessive use of ______________ can make someone feel like an outsider.

Libel and slander are two types of what misuse of language?

A parent saying to a child, "If you want to cry, I'll give you something to cry about"is an example of a

"My feelings are hurt"is an example of what kind of statement?

English speakers use the word dog, even though that word actually look or sound like a dog, because they have agreed to give the word dog that particular meaning, thus showing the _______________ nature of language.

Which term expresses a personal judgment or preference that we can agree or disagree with, but that is not true or false in an absolute sense?

Many people use social networking sites such as Facebook to meet new people and stay in contact with those they already know. Which of the following is true of the social and linguistic functions of sites like Facebook?