TUTORIAL ONE - CHAPTERS ONE & TWO
MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER
1. Consider these two statements. Do you think the two statements are equally probable? Explain.
I learned a new word today.
I learned a new sentence today.
2. Which of the following are prescriptive statements and which are descriptive?
a. “It’s me” is ungrammatical; “It’s I” is the correct way to say this.
b. People who say “ain’t” may suffer some negative social consequences because many speakers of
English associate “ain’t” with the dialects of the lower classes.
c. In casual styles of speaking, English speakers frequently end sentences with prepositions; ending
sentences with prepositions is avoided in formal styles.
d. Never end a sentence with a preposition.
3. The following statements may be linguistic myths. Identify which ones are true and which are
myths. Provide an explanation of why these are misconceptions for those that are myths.
a. English is the most difficult language to learn.
b. A linguist is someone who speaks many languages.
c. British English is more correct than American English.
d. English is deteriorating.
4. “Write” the following words and phrases, using pictograms that you invent:
a. eye
b. table
c. two tables
d. smoke
e. tree
f. forest
g. ugly
Which words are most difficult to symbolize in this way? Why?
5. A rebus is a written representation of words or syllables using pictures of objects whose names
resemble the sounds of the intended words or syllables. Using the rebus principle, “write” the
following words:
a. tearing
b. icicle
c. cookies
Why would such a system be a difficult system in which to represent all words in English? Illustrate
your answer with an example.
6. Suppose the English writing system were a SYLLABIC system instead of an ALPHABETIC system. Use
capital letters to symbolize the necessary syllabic units for the words below and list your “syllabary”.
E.g. given the words mate, inmate, intake, you might use A= mate B= in C= take ---- inmate BA,
intake BC
a. Jesuit
b. lifelessness
c. likely
d. witness
e. lethal
f. zoo
g. jealous
h. witless
i. lesson