SPECIMEN FOR MPHIL APPLIED LINGUISTICS
ENTRY TEST
The entry test for M.Phil. Applied Linguistics carries 100 marks and consists of a
written test. The written test comprises 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) of equal
marks. 50 of these questions are from subject knowledge and 30 questions are to test the
language proficiency/verbal reasoning. Another 20 questions are designed to test the
quantitative and analytical reasoning of the candidates. The candidates are required to score
minimum 50 marks in order to qualify for the interview.
The following MCQs are given as a sample for the preparation of the test.
VERBAL SECTION
Choose the correct option.
1. The ancient Olympic Games _____ as amateur contests, but in time became professional.
a. begun
b. began
c. were began
d. were beginning
e. Beginning
is the simple past tense of the verb "to begin," which is appropriate for describing a past event (the start of the Olympic Games).
2. One growing season after another without rain quickly leads ___ starvation in many parts of the
world.
a. on
b. to
c. for
d. at
e. of
3. Which one of the following options is closest in meaning to To cry wolf
a) to give false alarm
b) to be a renegade
c) to turn pale
d) to ruin oneself
e) to run away
Explanation: The idiom "to cry wolf" refers to the story of the boy who falsely claimed a wolf was attacking his sheep, causing the villagers to disregard his pleas when a wolf actually appeared. Therefore, "crying wolf" means to raise a false alarm.
4. Which one of the following options is opposite in meaning to Solicitous
a) concerned
b) unstable
c) indifferent
d) judgmental
e) raucous
Solicitous: means showing care and concern for others.
Indifferent: means having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned.
5. Which one of the following options aligns best on the basis of synonymy with the pair Harm:Damage
a) sweet: insidious
b) stout: demure
c) revel: revitalize
d) injure: incapacitate
e) hook: crook
The best synonym match for the pair "Harm:Damage" is (d) injure: incapacitate. Both "harm" and "damage" can be considered synonyms for injury or impairment, and "injure" and "incapacitate" also reflect similar concepts of causing harm or disabling someone.
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE
Choose the correct option.
6. The study of the physical properties of speech sounds is known as
a. Articulatory Phonetics
b. Intonation
c. Auditory Phonetics
d. Acoustics
e. Pitch
Explanation: Acoustics is the study of the physical properties of sound, including how it is produced, transmitted, and received. This field encompasses the analysis of sound waves, their frequencies, amplitudes, and other characteristics.
7. The word fax is coined from facsimile through
a. Clipping
b. Backformation
c. Derivation
d. Compounding
e. Inflection
Clipping is a word formation process where a longer word is shortened, and "fax" is a shortened form of "facsimile". This falls under the category of clipping because a part of the word (the beginning) is removed to create a new word. Other examples of clipping include "ad" from "advertisement," "gym" from "gymnasium," and "lab" from "laboratory.".
8. The property of language that allows the generation of an infinite number of sentences from a finiteset of words is known as
a. Recursion
b. Generative Linguistics
c. Grammaticality
d. Sense relations
e. Derivation
Explanation: Recursion, in linguistics, refers to the ability to embed structures within other structures, creating potentially infinite combinations. For instance, you can have a sentence like "The cat sat on the mat." and then make it more complex by saying, "The cat that I saw sat on the mat." This addition of a clause within the original sentence demonstrates recursion. This process can be repeated to create increasingly complex and longer sentences, even though the basic words and rules remain finite.
9. Which thinker/philosopher had a major impact on the latter half of the 20th century on linguistics?
a. Noam Chomsky
b. Immanuel Kant
c. Zellig Harris
d. Ferdinand Saussure
e. Aristotle
Noam Chomsky is widely recognized for his significant contributions to linguistics, particularly his development of transformational-generative grammar. This theory revolutionized the field by proposing that human language is based on an innate, universal grammar that allows for the creation and understanding of an infinite number of sentences. His work, starting in the mid-20th century, challenged existing linguistic theories and introduced new perspectives on language acquisition and structure, making him a dominant figure in the field. While other thinkers like Ferdinand de Saussure and Zellig Harris also influenced linguistics, Chomsky's impact on the latter half of the 20th century is particularly profound.
10. Which of the following could be a suitable definition of Sociolinguistics?
a. The study of language variation as a human phenomenon that affects large parts of the
population
b. Research aimed at finding the reasons for linguistic variations in social and environmentalconditions
c. Study of mutual intelligibility of different varieties
d. A field of research that deals with the relation between language and society
e. All of the above
Explanation: Sociolinguistics explores how social factors, like social class, region, and context, affect language use and how language, in turn, influences society.
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