Pragmatics MCQs 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. What is pragmatics? (A) Study of sentence structure (B) Study of meaning in context (C) Study of word formation (D) Study of sounds in language 2. Which of the following focuses on how language is used in real communication? (A) Semantics (B) Morphology (C) Pragmatics (D) Phonology 3. Deixis refers to: (A) Words that refer to time, place, or person in context (B) Words with opposite meaning (C) Word formation rules (D) Sentence ambiguity 4. Which is an example of personal deixis? (A) Now (B) Here (C) He (D) Yesterday 5. Temporal deixis refers to: (A) People (B) Time (C) Place (D) Objects 6. “Tomorrow” is an example of: (A) Temporal deixis (B) Personal deixis (C) Spatial deixis (D) Social deixis 7. Spatial deixis refers to: (A) Time expressions (B) Place expressions (C) Person references (D) Pronouns only 8. Which is a spatial deixis word? (A) Today (B) There (C) We (D) She 9. What are speech acts? (A) Words with multiple meanings (B) Utterances that perform an action (C) Only written sentences (D) Silent gestures 10. Saying “I apologize” is an example of which type of speech act? (A) Assertive (B) Commissive (C) Expressive (D) Directive 11. Who introduced the concept of speech acts? (A) Noam Chomsky (B) J.L. Austin (C) Ferdinand de Saussure (D) Roman Jakobson 12. Which term did J.L. Austin coin for sentences that do actions by being spoken? (A) Declarative (B) Performative (C) Assertive (D) Descriptive 13. “I now pronounce you husband and wife” is a: (A) Assertive (B) Expressive (C) Performative (D) Directive 14. Searle classified speech acts into: (A) 2 categories (B) 3 categories (C) 5 categories (D) 7 categories 15. Which of the following is a directive speech act? (A) Promise (B) Command (C) Statement (D) Apology 16. Illocutionary act refers to: (A) The physical act of speaking (B) The intended meaning behind the utterance (C) The effect on the listener (D) The grammar of the sentence 17. Locutionary act refers to: (A) The act of saying something with literal meaning (B) The intended purpose (C) The listener’s reaction (D) Social context 18. Perlocutionary act refers to: (A) The actual words spoken (B) The intended meaning (C) The effect the utterance has on the listener (D) The grammar used 19. “Can you pass the salt?” as a request is an example of: (A) Direct speech act (B) Indirect speech act (C) Expressive (D) Commissive 20. What does Grice’s Cooperative Principle explain? (A) How sentences are formed (B) How people communicate effectively by following maxims (C) How words change meaning (D) How sounds influence meaning 21. How many maxims did Grice propose? (A) Two (B) Three (C) Four (D) Six 22. The maxim of quantity states: (A) Be truthful (B) Be relevant (C) Be as informative as necessary, no more no less (D) Be clear 23. The maxim of quality refers to: (A) Giving as much information as possible (B) Telling the truth (C) Changing topics (D) Avoiding complex words 24. The maxim of relation means: (A) Be clear (B) Be relevant (C) Be brief (D) Be polite 25. The maxim of manner refers to: (A) Be truthful (B) Be polite (C) Be orderly and avoid ambiguity (D) Be informative 26. Flouting a maxim means: (A) Completely ignoring grammar rules (B) Breaking a maxim to convey an implied meaning (C) Speaking in monotone (D) Avoiding communication 27. Conversational implicature arises when: (A) The speaker says everything directly (B) The listener misunderstands (C) Meaning is implied rather than stated (D) Grammar is complex 28. “It’s cold here” meaning “Please close the window” is an example of: (A) Deixis (B) Presupposition (C) Conversational implicature (D) Speech act failure 29. Politeness theory in pragmatics is mainly associated with: (A) Chomsky (B) Brown and Levinson (C) Austin (D) Saussure 30. Face-threatening acts are: (A) Actions that respect someone’s face (B) Acts that threaten the speaker’s or hearer’s social self-image (C) Speech acts that are direct only (D) Semantic anomalies 31. Positive politeness strategy aims to: (A) Avoid imposing (B) Show solidarity and friendliness (C) Be vague (D) Ignore the listener 32. Negative politeness strategy focuses on: (A) Showing closeness (B) Avoiding imposition (C) Giving compliments (D) Exaggerating emotions 33. What does presupposition in pragmatics refer to? (A) A question (B) Background assumptions taken for granted (C) Synonym meaning (D) A false statement 34. “Have you stopped smoking?” presupposes that: (A) You never smoked (B) You have smoked before (C) Smoking is healthy (D) The answer is yes 35. Context in pragmatics includes: (A) Only grammar (B) Situational, social, and cultural background (C) Only sounds (D) Only sentence structure 36. Which of the following is NOT a pragmatic phenomenon? (A) Deixis (B) Speech acts (C) Morphological rules (D) Conversational implicature 37. The utterance “I promise I will help you” is an example of: (A) Assertive (B) Commissive (C) Declarative (D) Expressive 38. In pragmatics, “How are you?” as a greeting rather than a genuine question is an example of: (A) Direct speech act (B) Indirect meaning (C) Conventionalized expression (D) Presupposition 39. Which type of context determines meaning through previous discourse? (A) Physical context (B) Linguistic context (C) Social context (D) Cultural context 40. “Can you hear me?” used to check audio is: (A) Directive (B) Expressive (C) Literal question (D) Commissive 41. Pragmatic competence means: (A) Knowing all words of a language (B) Ability to use language appropriately in context (C) Memorizing grammar rules (D) Ability to pronounce sounds 42. Turn-taking in conversation is studied under: (A) Phonology (B) Semantics (C) Discourse pragmatics (D) Morphology 43. “Would you mind opening the door?” is an example of: (A) Politeness strategy (B) Directive speech act (C) Indirect request (D) All of the above 44. Which is an example of a presupposition trigger? (A) Stop (B) Again (C) Too (D) All of the above 45. Which best describes deixis? (A) Words whose meaning depends on context (B) Words with similar meaning (C) Opposite meaning (D) Lexical field grouping 46. Pragmatics mainly differs from semantics because it: (A) Focuses on sound (B) Studies meaning beyond the literal (C) Ignores context (D) Studies only word meaning 47. Which speech act category includes giving an order? (A) Directive (B) Commissive (C) Expressive (D) Declarative 48. “Congratulations!” is an example of: (A) Assertive (B) Expressive (C) Declarative (D) Commissive 49. When someone says “It’s late” meaning “We should leave,” this is: (A) Direct speech (B) Presupposition (C) Implicature (D) Politeness 50. Pragmatics is a subfield of: (A) Geography (B) Sociology (C) Linguistics (D) Philosophy only 1. Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology MCQsDefinition, scope, and history MCQsLanguage vs. communication MCQsHuman language vs. animal communication MCQsKey figures in linguistic anthropology MCQs2. Language Structure MCQsPhonetics and Phonology MCQsMorphology MCQsSyntax MCQsSemantics MCQsPragmatics MCQs3. Language Acquisition and Socialization MCQsFirst language acquisition MCQsSecond language acquisition MCQsLanguage learning in cultural context MCQsEnculturation through language MCQs4. 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