English Language: Words Flashcards

Question

What does Idiolect mean? Clue: Idio comes from the Greek word ίδιος which means Same, own, personal. When Idio combines with a word, it usually refers to a peculiarity of a particular person.

Answer 1

Idiolect is an individual's unique use of language, including speech. This unique usage includes vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. A person’s idiolect is influenced by life experiences, language encounters, what they have read and listened to, where they have been schooled, jobs they have had, their favorite hobbies and pastimes, and their parents, friends, and teachers. We all might speak the same language, but no two people speak exactly the same. We all have our own Idiolect.

Answer 2

DECLARATIVE - A declarative sentence makes a statement. They are the most common types of sentences. The cat is on the mat / Babies cry / She loves pizza / I love reading EXCLAMATIVE - An exclamative sentence expresses a high level of feeling or emotion, like anger, excitement, urgency, etc. They end with an exclamation mark (!). They can sometimes start with the words 'What' or 'How' What a cute cat! / How cute is that cat! / I love chocolate cake! What big teeth you have! / How bad is that! / What a mess you've made! / Aargh! IMPERATIVE - An Imperative sentence gives instructions or expresses a request or demand. Get the cat off the mat / Please be quiet / Beat the eggs with the butter / Please pass the salt / Be careful INTERROGATIVE - An Interrogative sentence asks a question. Where is the cat? / Why do dogs bark?

Answer 3

Euphemisms are pleasant words or phrases often used to replace words that are considered unpleasant. Euphemisms are quite often used around words related to death, bodily functions or sex. 1. 'To do your business', or 'Go to the bathroom' (go to the toilet) 2. 'Passed away' (died) 3. Employers often say 'We have to let him go' or 'we are downsizing' (we are firing employees) 4. People with physical disabilities used to be called 'crippled' or 'handicapped', but now are called 'disabled' and sometimes 'physically challenged'. 5. People with 'mental disabilities' used to be called 'retarded', but are now called 'mentally challenged' 6. 'Sleep with' (had sex with) 7. 'Gentleman's Bar' (strip joint) 8. 'Do number 1 or 2' instead of wee or shit.

Answer 4

An Affix is a group of letters that can be attached to a root word to create a different form of that word, or to create a new word with a different meaning. There are 3 types of Affixes: PREFIX, SUFFIX and INFIX. PREFIX is a letter or group of letters that attach to the beginning of a word. -IN (Forms a negative word) (incapable, independent, incorrect, inability, incomplete) -UN (Forms a negative word) (unhappy, unable, uninterested, unorthodox, unfriendly) -A (Forms a negative word) (Atypical, amoral, achromatic) there are many more prefixes to add to this list. SUFFIX is a letter or group of letters attached to the end of a word. -ABLE (Acceptable, Achievable, Lovable, Avoidable, Capable) -MENT ( argument, endorsement, punishment) -EN (Enlighten, awaken, Strengthen) There are many more suffixes to add to this list. The most common type of INFIX is inserted inside another word rather than at the beginning or end of the word. -Fan-bloody-tastic - Abso-bloody-lutely Infixation is rarely used in formal writing. They are usually used as part of Colloquial or Slang language.

Answer 5

Conjunctions are connecting words that join words, phrases or sentences. Coordinating Conjunctions can be used to join together INDEPENDENT words, or sentences of equal importance. Coordinating conjunctions include: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So (remember the acronym FANBOYS) eg. We were out of milk 'and' coffee Jane likes John, 'but' John likes Sarah We could go to the cinema 'or' the park today Coordinating conjunctions can also be used to join two sentences together, but each sentence must be able to make sense and stand on its own. eg. I had a terrible cold. I still went to school. (these are two sentences that can each stand on their own. I had a terrible cold, 'but' I still went to school. (we can add 'but' to join the two sentences. Subordinating Conjunctions are used to join an INDEPENDENT clause to a DEPENDENT clause. Common subordinating conjunctions are: after, (al)though, as, before, if, since, that, until, when, whereas, while, once, so, as soon as, provided that. When a clause follows these conjunctions, it becomes a subordinate clause, which needs a main clause to make a complete sentence.

Answer 6

The subject is the person/thing 'doing' the verb in a sentence. The subject acts as the ‘doer’ or of an action. Subjects are typically noun phrases (e.g. a noun or pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, they) and any dependent words before or after it): EXAMPLES....(words in capital letters are the Subject) 'STUDENTS' usually hate exams (noun) The 'TEACHER' told the class to sit down. (noun) Doesn’t 'HE' eat meat? (pronoun) 'SPRING' is like a breath of fresh air after a winter indoors. (noun) 'EMIEL' is so good at sport. (proper noun) 'THEY' don’t open the shop on Sundays. (pronoun) 'SURFING' is becoming more and more popular.

Answer 7

A Pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or a noun phrase. They are used to refer to ourselves or other people. ``` I/me, you, we/us, she/her, it, they/them mine, ours, hers ourselves, myself, himself who, whose, which, what this, that, these, those -body, -one, -thing, one, you, they each other/each other’s, one another/one another’s who, whom, whose, which, that ```

Answer 8

Figurative language is the use of language in a non literal way. It includes idioms, metaphors, puns, hyperbole, oxymorons, personification

Answer 9

A pun is a joke that plays on words that have different meanings. Puns use HOMONYMS (words that are spelt the same but have a different meaning) or HOMOPHONES (words that sound the same but are spelt differently and have a different meaning).

Answer 10

"A boiled egg every morning is hard to BEAT" Beat can refer to beating an egg. It can also mean that something is so good, you can't beat it, or do better than that. "I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but then IT STRUCK ME" Struck me can refer to lightning striking you or hitting you, or it can can refer to when you realise something. eg, it only just struck me that you two are sisters. "I've been to the dentist many times, so I know the DRILL" Drill can refer to the instrument dentists use, or it can refer to an activity that involves doing the same thing a few times. "Always trust a glue salesman. They tend to STICK TO THEIR WORD" To stick to your word means to not move away from what you are saying, but it also means stick together, as in glue sticks together. “Two silk worms had a race. It ended in a TIE.” The tie can refer to a result in races wherein two competitors finish at the same time. And tie could also mean the neck wear which is made of silk. "I used to be a banker, but I lost INTEREST" Interest can refer to caring about something, or it can refer to the money you get from leaving your money in the bank. "I’d tell you a chemistry joke, but I know I wouldn’t get a REACTION" Reaction refers to the response you give to something, or it can refer to a reaction from mixing two chemicals. "It’s not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn’t HAVE THE BALLS TO DO IT" To have Balls refers to literally possessing round objects, or it can be an idiom and mean to have the courage (in this case, balls means man's testicles) The vacuum cleaner SUCKS

Answer 11

"Look deep into our RYES."(slogan of Wigler's Bakery) The corresponding homophone is 'eyes' "A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is TWO-TIRED" The corresponding homophone is 'too tired' Explanation: Bicycles have two tires, that is, they have two wheels. If a car is four-tired (has 4 tires) then you could say a bike is two-tired (has two tires), although no one would actually say that- except in a joke. This joke plays on the words “too tired.” If you are too tired, you have no energy. Maybe you would fall over like the two-tired (too tired) bike! "Where do polar bears vote? The North POLL" The corresponding homophone is 'Pole' "When Jake found a grey hair, he thought he would DYE" The corresponding homophone is 'Die' "This bread recipe is a family secret. I can only share it on a KNEAD to know basis" The corresponding homophone is 'Need' Knead means to twist and work the flour to make bread. “The library is the tallest building in the city, with thousands of STORIES.” The word “stories” can mean the stories in a book, or the stories (also spelled “storeys”) in a building. This excerpt from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland plays on “tale” and “tail.” “Mine is a long and a sad TALE!” said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing. “It is a long TAIL, certainly,” said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse’s TAIL; “but why do you call it sad?” And she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking.

Answer 12

Emoticon (emotion + icon) An icon is a symbol or graphical representation on a computer screen. An emoticon is a sequence of characters that represents a facial expression. :‑) (smiley face) :) (smiley face) :‑( (frown, sad, angry) :( (frown, sad, angry) :'‑( (crying) :'( (crying) **Emoticons were around well before Emojis.

Answer 13

Semantics is the study of words and sentences and how they are used literally and figuratively to give meaning.

Answer 14

Metalanguage is the language used to talk about language.

Answer 15

Register is about the way a speaker or writer uses language in different circumstances. The words you use, the tone, your body language, will all be different depending on circumstances. These will be determined by context, social occasion, purpose, audience etc. Registers are used in all forms of communication including written and spoken

Answer 16

Some linguists say there are only two types of Register: Formal and Informal, but this is very simplistic. Most Linguists will agree that there are 5 types of Register... 1. FROZEN: This form is sometimes called the static register because it refers to historic language or communication that does not change over time. Examples: The Bible, the Australian Constitution. 2. FORMAL: Less rigid but still constrained, the formal register is used in professional, academic, or legal settings where communication is expected to be respectful, uninterrupted, and restrained. Slang is never used, and contractions (shortening of words) are rare. Examples: a business presentation, Business Letter, Official Speeches, the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Academic Lecture 3. CONSULTATIVE: People use this register often in conversation when they're speaking with someone who has specialized knowledge or who is offering advice. Tone is often respectful (use of courtesy titles) but may be more casual if the relationship is longstanding or friendly (a family doctor.) Slang is sometimes used, people may pause or interrupt one another. Examples: the local TV news broadcast, an annual checkup at the doctor, a service provider like a plumber. 4. CASUAL: This is the register people use when they're with friends, close acquaintances and co-workers, and family. It's probably the one you think of when you consider how you talk with other people, often in a group setting. Use of slang and contractions (eg isn't, shouldn't), is all common, and people may also use swear words or off-color language in some settings. Examples: a birthday party, a backyard barbecue, personal email, friendly letter, phone texts 5. INTIMATE: Linguists say this register is reserved for special occasions, usually between only two people and often in private. Intimate language may be something as simple as an inside joke between two school friends or a word whispered in a lover's ear.

Answer 17

- -Syntax refers to arrangement of words in a sentence. - -Syntax is basically about what word comes before and after another word. For native speakers, using correct syntax is something that comes naturally, as word order is learned as soon as an infant starts absorbing the language. Native speakers can tell something isn't said quite right because it "sounds weird," even if they can't detail the exact grammar rule that makes something sound "off" to the ear. Some rules of Syntax tells us that: - You start a question with a question word ('What is that?') - Adjectives come before nouns ('Green Chair'. You do not say 'Chair Green') - Subjects come before verbs in non question sentences ('The dog barked' NOT 'The barked dog') - Auxiliary Verbs (helping verbs) come before main verbs ('can go' or 'will do'), NOT 'go can' or 'do will' - Multiple adjectives modifying the same noun follow a particular order. (The order is number, size, colour) eg. 'six big elephants' You do not say 'Big six elephants'.

Answer 18

Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities or abilities are given to animals or inanimate objects (non living things). EXAMPLES OF SLOGANS USED IN ADVERTISING THAT USE PERSONIFICATION: Kleenex says bless you.(Kleenex facial tissues) Nothing hugs like Huggies. (Huggies Brand Nappies) The toilet tissue that really cares for Downunder. (Bouquets toilet paper, Australia) You're in good hands with Allstate. (Allstate Insurance Company) Taste me! Taste me! Come on and taste me! (Doral cigarettes) What do you feed a machine with an appetite this big? (Washing Machine Ad for laundry detergent) The heartbeat of America. (Chevrolet cars) The car that cares (Kia cars) OTHER EXAMPLES OF PERSONIFICATION THAT ARE USED IN WRITING: Lightning danced across the sky. The wind howled in the night. The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition. Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name. My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning. The avalanche devoured anything standing in its way. The door protested as it opened slowly. My house is a friend who protects me. The moon played hide and seek with the clouds. The approaching car's headlights winked at me. The camera loves her since she is so pretty. The stairs groaned as we walked on them. Our vacuum hums a happy tune while it cleans. My flowers were begging for water. The ivy wove its fingers around the fence. The thunder was grumbling in the distance. The cactus saluted those who drove past. The wildfire ran through the forest at an amazing speed. The moon smiled at the stars in the sky. The leaves waved in the wind. Time flies when you're having fun. PERSONIFICATION USED IN POETRY (1) Fingers of Sunshine Hadn't she known that something good was going to happen to her that morning--hadn't she felt it in every touch of the sunshine, as its golden finger-tips pressed her lids open and wound their way through her hair? (2) Love Is a Brute Passion's a good, stupid horse that will pull the plough six days a week if you give him the run of his heels on Sundays. But love's a nervous, awkward, over-mastering brute; if you can't rein him, it's best to have no truck with him.

Answer 19

Jargon is specialised language that belongs to a particular professional or occupational group. While this language is necessary within that group, it is usually meaningless to an outsider. EXAMPLES - Arbitration, conciliation, mediation, affidavit, defendant, prosecution (legal jargon) - Hypertension, Echocardiogram, cardiac arrest (medical jargon) - Sergeant, Infantry Division, Anti Surface Vessel, Voice, Throttle and Stick (Military Jargon) - ATAR, VET, Curriculum, Naplan, Assessment Task (Education Jargon)

Answer 20

Function is the purpose or role of language use. eg. to inform, to persuade, to instruct

Answer 21

SOCIAL PURPOSE involves the functions of language concerning relationships and POWER STRUCTURES eg. encouraging solidarity or reinforcing SOCIAL DISTANCE. Social DISTANCE is the degree of intimacy/friendship or lack thereof between the people taking part in a conversation. Social distance determines how these people will converse because it is this degree of friendship or closeness which determines how they will speak to each other. So if you are close to the person, your social distance is near or short. If you don't know them well, your social distance is far or long. The more formal you are, the more you are increasing social distance. People who are the same age, and perhaps work in the same field, will have a shorter social distance. If you visit the bank manager, your social distance will probably be far. The bigger the generational gap between two people, the longer the social distance. So the social distance between a child and an elderly person will be long. POWER STRUCTURES refers to PERCEIVED power between the people having the conversation. When thinking about relative power, and who has more relative power in a discourse, these question might help you decide: -Who is the topic manager, or who is driving the conversation? -Who asks the most questions? -Who interrupts the most? -Who is the most deferential to the other person? ie. who is being shown respect? -Who is the most cooperative and who is the least cooperative? -Who begins and ends the discourse? Another important thing to note is that someone might have a great amount of perceived power in one discourse, and much less in another. So you need to take into consideration the situational context.

Answer 22

Clauses are the building blocks of sentences. Every sentence is made up of at least one clause. A Clause contains a SUBJECT and a VERB PHRASE. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CLAUSES: MAIN CLAUSE AND SUBORDINATE CLAUSE ( 1 ) MAIN CLAUSE (Independent Clause) - Contains a Subject and Verb Phrase. Expresses a complete thought, and can stand alone as a sentence. THE FOLLOWING ARE MAIN CLAUSES. They form a complete sentence. I went to school today. ('I' is the subject. 'went to school today' is the verb phrase. The dog barked loudly. ('The Dog' is the subject. 'barked loudly' is the verb phrase) We didn’t go to the show ( 'We' is the subject. 'didn't go to the show' is the verb phrase) She answered the phone ('She' is the subject'. 'answered the phone' is the verb phrase) ( 2 ) SUBORDINATE CLAUSE (Dependent Clause) - Contains a Subject and Verb Phrase, but cannot stand on its own as a sentence. It depends on a Main Clause to form a complete sentence. ``` THE FOLLOWING ARE SUBORDINATE CLAUSES. They do not form a complete sentence. even though I was still feeling unwell as soon as he saw his owner because there weren’t any tickets left. when it rang ``` These subordinate clauses need to link up with a Main Clause to form a complete sentence . You can link the Main Clauses above to the Subordinate Clauses above as follows: I went to school today even though I was still feeling unwell. The dog barked loudly as soon as he saw his owner. We didn't go to the show because there weren't any tickets left. She answered the phone when it rang. You can also link two or more Main Clauses together to form a sentence. Emiel was cold, so he put on a coat (The two sentences are linked by the word 'SO') We went to the cinema, and we bought some ice cream (two sentences are linked by the word 'AND') You can go out tonight, but I expect you home by midnight. (two sentences are linked by the word 'BUT') Do you prefer to go to bed early, or do you prefer to stay up late? (linked by 'OR') The roads were busy, yet I made it to work on time. (two sentences are linked by the word 'YET' I wasn't feeling well, so I decided not to go to school today (two sentences are linked by the word 'SO')

Answer 23

Flapping is when the 'd' sound is heard instead of the 't' in certain words. ``` eg. Budder instead of Butter Compuder instead of computer Pardy instead of Party Wader instead of Water Thirdy instead of Thirty Medal instead of Metal Liddle instead of Little ``` Not everyone does this and it's perfectly ok not to, however we often do it for ease of pronunciation.

Answer 24

A Function Word performs a function. Such as a Conjunction, Preposition, or Pronoun that is used to show the relationship between other words in a sentence or phrase. They have little lexical meaning. A Content Word has a specific meaning: verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs EXAMPLE: 'The sly brown fox jumped gracefully over the lazy dog and cat'. The Function Words in the sentence are: THE - Determiner OVER - Preposition AND - Conjunction ``` The Content Words in the sentence are: FOX, DOG, CAT (Nouns) SLY, BROWN, LAZY (Adjectives) GRACEFULLY (Adverb) JUMPED (Main Verb) ```

Answer 25

Prosodic Features is a collective term to refer to the following: STRESS - (The emphasis being put on a particular sound) PITCH - (How high or low someone says a particular word) INTONATION - (The way a person's voice changes in pitch) VOLUME - (How loud or soft something is said) TEMPO - (How fast or slow something is said) These features are very important in spoken language.

Answer 26

A shortening is a morphological term referring to the shortened version of a longer word ``` EXAMPLES Gym for gymnasium Uni for University Phone for Telephone Flu for Influenza Ad for Advertisement Bike for Bicycle Telly for Television Rhino for rhinoceros Exam for examination Photo for photograph Maths for mathematics Lab for laboratory ```

Answer 27

Compounding is when two words are combined to make a new word. ``` EXAMPLES: Armchair breakup barefoot Notebook blueberry highlight into homesick ```

Answer 28

A collocation is made up of two or more words that are commonly used together in English. It's when two or more words like to hang out together in a way that native speakers can understand it. EXAMPLES: To take a risk To do homework 'I made a cup of coffee or tea' (you don't say 'I did a cup of coffee or I did a cup of tea' 'I've made an appointment for 4pm for our meeting' (you do not say 'I've done an appointment for 4pm'

English Language: Words Flashcards

(53 cards)