20 Questions
Which of the following best describes descriptive linguistics?
A study of how language is actually used
What is the main goal of descriptive linguistics?
To objectively analyze and describe how language is actually used
What is the difference between descriptive and prescriptive linguistics?
Prescriptive linguistics focuses on predetermined grammatical rules, while descriptive linguistics focuses on how people actually use language
What is the structural approach to language in modern descriptive linguistics?
A focus on analyzing and describing language structure
What are some methods used in descriptive linguistics to describe a language?
Basic data collection
What is an example of a difference between descriptive and prescriptive grammar?
Fewer than vs less than
Who is considered the most well-known scholar of the descriptive linguistic tradition in a Sanskrit community in northern India?
Pāṇini
When did the description of modern European languages begin?
1586
What is the first critical step of language description?
Collecting data
What is schedule controlled elicitation?
Having a questionnaire of material to elicit to individuals and asking the questions in a certain order according to a schedule
What is the difference between a descriptive grammarian and a prescriptive grammarian?
Prescriptive grammarians analyze the rules and conventions behind statements to determine which statement is correct, while descriptive grammarians believe that both statements are equally valid as long as the meaning behind the statement can be understood
When did linguistic description as a discipline really take off?
At the end of the 19th century with the Structuralist revolution
Which of the following is NOT a type of analysis controlled elicitation discussed in the text?
Schedule-based elicitation
What is the purpose of building a corpus in linguistic research?
To test hypotheses about a language
Which of the following is NOT a goal of linguistic description according to the text?
Developing generalized theory of lexicology
What is the focus of phonology in linguistics?
The function and interpretation of sound in language
What is the difference between schedule-based elicitation and analysis controlled elicitation?
Analysis controlled elicitation is not under a schedule, while schedule-based elicitation is
What is the purpose of stimulus driven elicitation in linguistic research?
To document the vocabulary of a language
What is the focus of lexicology in linguistics?
Collecting words and their derivations and transformations
What is the standing challenge of grammar writing according to the text?
Describing the syntax of well-formed sentences of a language
Test your knowledge of descriptive linguistics with this quiz! Explore the concept of objectively analyzing language use and learn about the importance of unbiased research in the field of linguistics. Keywords: language, linguistics, description, objective analysis.
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