Deck 4: Verbal Messages

Question 1

Derek was unable to go to work as he had a fever.He informed his boss over a call and his boss asked him to take the day off.This scenario reflects _____.

A)an argument 
B)a monologue 
C)a speech act 
D)nonverbal communication

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A(n) _____ is a person's own personal symbol system that includes his or her active vocabularies and his or her unique pronunciations, grammar, and syntax.

A)register 
B)idiolect 
C)accent 
D)dialect

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following best defines the term phonology? 

A)It refers to the implicit additional meaning people associate with a word.
B)It is the study of a unique form of language spoken by a specific group of people.
C)It refers to the sounds used to pronounce words.
D)It is the study of word origins and root words.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Laura said to Adam, "I need a few suggestions regarding work." Then, she added, "I need suggestions on how to compute a quarterly report of the new sales team." In this scenario, Laura uses _____.

A)denotative language 
B)abstract language 
C)specific language 
D)concrete language

Question 5

A(n) _____ is a complete unit of talk bounded by a speaker's silence.

A)utterance 
B)syllable 
C)letter 
D)morpheme

Question 6

Linguistic sensitivity is achieved: 

A)when the language of the elite is used.
B)when more words with implied meaning is used.
C)when words that indicate racial distinctions are avoided.
D)when feminine pronouns are used instead of masculine pronouns.

Question 7

In which of the following situations will the usage of slang or jargon improve semantics? 

A)When the occasion demands familiar language 
B)When the audience primarily comprises teenagers 
C)When the meaning of the slang or jargon is already defined 
D)When a conversation deals with any topic of human interest

Question 8

Which of the following is true of direct verbal style? 

A)It is usually followed across cultures.
B)It is the least preferred style of straightforward communication.
C)It openly states a speaker's intention.
D)It contributes to sociolinguistic misunderstanding.

Question 9

A(n) _____ is the utterance of a verbal message and what it implies about how the listener should respon d.

A)phrase 
B)idiom 
C)monologue 
D)speech act

Question 10

_____ does not use words that apply only to one sex, race, or other group as though they represent everyone.

A)Concrete language 
B)Colloquial language 
C)Inclusive language 
D)Specific language

Question 11

George is an octogenarian.Every time he visits his granddaughter, he finds that she uses strange and new words like YOLO and tweeting.Likewise, his granddaughter misinterprets some of his vocabulary, and both of them end up explaining their vocabulary to each other.Which of the following characteristics of language is indicated in this scenario? 

A)Language is arbitrary.
B)Language is abstract.
C)Language is concrete.
D)Language is constantly changing.

Question 12

For a word to have meaning, it must: 

A)be used in a complete sentence.
B)have a literal connection to the thing it represents.
C)be used in all speech communities.
D)stand for a particular object, idea, or feeling.

Question 13

_____ is the implicit additional meaning we associate with a wor d.

A)Implication 
B)Denotation 
C)Formation 
D)Connotation

Question 14

Unlike semantic meaning, pragmatic meaning: 

A)focuses on what words mean.
B)is based on denotative meaning of words.
C)changes across speakers and situations.
D)can be understood only in intercultural communication.

Question 15

_____ varies according to the norms of a particular culture or co-culture.

A)Plain meaning 
B)Literal meaning 
C)Sociolinguistic meaning 
D)Denotative meaning

Question 16

Which of the following is true of a speech community? 

A)It comprises less than 10,000 speakers.
B)It is a small group that speaks a common dialect.
C)It comprises people within a single neighborhood.
D)It is also known as a melting pot for language.

Question 17

A(n) _____ is a unique form of a more general language spoken by a specific culture or co-culture.

A)accent 
B)dialect 
C)syntax 
D)idiolect

Question 18

Which of the following is true of a language community? 

A)Members of the community use different dialects of the same language.
B)Members of the community speak different languages.
C)Members of the community are centered in the same country.
D)Members of the community communicate largely through sign language.

Question 19

Madison looks up the dictionary to find the meaning of the word "restitution." In this case, she is looking for the _____ of the wor d.

A)indirect meaning 
B)metaphorical meaning 
C)connotative meaning 
D)denotative meaning

Question 20

Thomas is a senior sales manager at Rue and West Bros., a furniture company.The company received a series of complaints regarding the last few batches of delivery.The CEO of Rue and West Bros.sent an e-mail to Thomas asking him to take care of the complaints immediately.In this scenario, which of the following replies would be considered an idiom? 

A)I'll find the reason behind the latest complaints and inform you.
B)I'll look into the matter immediately.
C)The complaints will be taken care of soon.
D)I'll sort the complaints at the drop of a hat.

Question 21

Explain and distinguish between semantic and pragmatic meanings of language.

Question 22

_________ aids in improving linguistic sensitivity.
A.Idiomatic language
B.Inclusive language
C.Pragmatic language
D.Specific language

Question 23

To achieve linguistic sensitivity, only superior dialects must be use
d.

Question 24

Instead of "loyal," when a speaker adds "I mean, he never criticizes friends behind their backs," he or she is using _________.
A.slang
B.jargon
C.descriptive details
D.idiomatic expression

Question 25

_________ comes from understanding a message related to its conversational context.
A.Connotative meaning
B.Semantic meaning
C.Denotative meaning
D.Pragmatic meaning

Question 26

A language's lexicon refers to a collection of words and expressions.

Question 27

What is a language? Discuss the various components of a language, and explain the reasons behind distinctions of communities based on language.

Question 28

An indirect verbal style is characterized by language that openly states a speaker's intention in a straightforward and unambiguous way.

Question 29

Each language is different from other languages in its fundamentals and purposes.

Question 30

Different speech communities within a language community may use different words to represent the same phenomenon.

Question 31

_________ refer to the rules for combining words to form sentences.
A.Guidelines and decrees
B.Axioms
C.Lexicons
D.Syntax and grammar

Question 32

Explain the characteristics of language.

Question 33

When a person uses words like "mumbles," "whispers," "blusters," or "drones," instead of "speaks in a weird way," the person uses _________.
A.idiomatic language
B.concrete language
C.inclusive language
D.pragmatic language