FACULTY OF LANGUAGE STUDIES
EL120 MTACOVER FORM (2013/2014)
Part (I): STUDENT INFORMATION (to be completed by student)
1. Name:
2. Registration No:
3. Section No:
5. E-mail:
Part (II): TUTOR'S REMARKS (to be completed by tutor)
Tutor's Name:
Date MTA held:
TUTOR'S REMARKS:
Mark Allocated
to MTA
30%
Signature:
Date returned:
STUDENT MARK
For Content : a
max of 30
marks
Marks deducted for
language &
communication errors:
a maximum of 6
marks
EL120: MTA Fall 2013-2014
Earned Mark
1
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE STUDIES
EL120: English Phonetics and Linguistics
Mid-term Exam (MTA) (30%)
Date: Tuesday 26st November, 2013
Time allowed:
90 minutes
Exam Instructions:
1. Allow approximately 10 minutes to read the instructions on this page and to read
through the whole examination paper.
2. There are FOUR parts to this examination paper as in the following table:
Part
Question No.
A
B
C
1
2
3
A
B
D
TOTAL
Marks per
section
8
4
2
2
8
2
4
30
Time
recommended
30
10
5
5
15
5
20
90
3. You are required to answer all Four parts.
4. Follow carefully the instruction in each part.
5. In your Answer Booklet make sure that you:
- Clearly write the number of the question which you decide to answer.
- Cross out any rough notes you make which you do not wish to be marked/graded.
6. Review your answers carefully paying attention to your grammar, spelling and
punctuation as well as to relevant textual elements (e.g. paragraphing, cohesion &
coherence) as part of the mark for each question will be given to language accuracy
and text organization.
EL120: MTA Fall 2013-2014
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Answer All the following questions:
PART A
Definitions:
(8 marks)
Define ONLY FOUR of the following terms with examples:
1. Consonant cluster
Consonant cluster is one of the phonological features of English. It deals with how
sounds are combined together to form words. In English words, two, three or more
consonants may be grouped together to form clusters. For example, crime, scream
exchange, fields.
2. The hard palate
The hard palate is the area behind the alveolar ridge. Only one sound in English is
produced in this area /j/. The active articulator is the front of the tongue and the passive
articulator is the hard palate.
3. Allophones
Allophones are the varieties of a phoneme. They don't change the meaning of a word
if one is used instead of the other; for example, aspirated and non aspirated forms of
[p], [t] and [k], the dark and clear [l], etc.
4. Nasal cavity
The nasal cavity extends from the upper part of the pharynx to the nostrils (nose
opening). When the velum is lowered, the airstream can pass through the nose
producing nasal sounds like /m/, /n/ and /ƞ/.
5. Bilabial phonemes
Bilabial phonemes or the two lips take part in producing bilabial sounds, for example,
/p/, /b/, /m/.
6. Aspiration
Aspiration is a rule of phonology. A voiceless plosive /k/, /p/ or /t/ is pronounced with
a following puff of air when it is used at the beginning of a stressed syllable and before
a vowel.
PART B
1. Transcribe the following words in phonetics symbols and put a tick () into the
correct column based on the number of sounds each word has.
(4 marks)
No.
word
Example Enough
1.
write
Transcription
2
sounds
3
sounds
/ I n ʌ f/
EL120: MTA Fall 2013-2014
4
sounds

5
sounds
6
sounds

3
/r aɪ t/
2.
six
3.
lamb
4.
half

/s ɪ k s/

/l æ m/
/l a: f/

2. Identify the word where the underlined phoneme is different and explain why it
is different.
(2 marks)
Christ – child – choose – choice
Example:
(Christ is different because the letters ‘ch’ are pronounced /k/ whereas in the three
other words, they are pronounced /ʧ/
a. Generous – gesture – gym – ground . All 'g's are pronounced /dʒ/ whereas in
'ground' it is pronounced /g/
b. Cattle – clash – circle – claim. All 'C's are pronounced /k/ whereas in 'circle', it
is pronounced /s/.
c. Pressure – treasure – closure – vision. All 's's are pronounced / ʒ/ whereas in
'pressure' /ʃ/
d. Thin – think – then – thrill. All 'th's are pronounced /θ/ whereas in 'then' /ð/
3. Underline the silent letter in the following words:
a.
b.
c.
d.
(2 marks)
Lamb
Answer
Knit
should
Part C
A. Transcribe and describe the underlined consonants in the following words:
(8 marks)
No.
Example
1.
2.
3.
4.
Consonant
Voicing
Place of
articulation
Manner of
articulation
/f/
Voiceless
Labiodental
Fricative
/z/
Voiced
Alveolar
Fricative
/k/
Voiceless
Velar
Plosive stop
sugar
/ʃ'/
Voiceless
thrill
/θ/
Voiceless
Word
Fine
boys
look
EL120: MTA Fall 2013-2014
Palatealveolar
Dental
Fricative
Fricative
4
B. Transcribe and describe the underlined vowels in the following words: (2 marks)
No.
Word
Example
mat
sleep
1.
bird
2.
vowel
Front/central/back
(tongue position)
High/low/mid
(tongue
height)
Round/unrounded
Short/long
/ᴂ/
front
low
unrounded
short
/i:/
Front
High
Unrounded
long
/ ɜ:/
Central
Mid
Unrounded
long
PART D
Which of the following statements is true (T) and which is false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Prosodies can be used to represent attitude.
English is a stress-timed language.
Intonation is concerned with stress.
The verb 'reveal' is stressed on the first syllable.
Assimilation is a puff of air.
[t] in 'tip' is aspirated whereas in 'hot' it is not aspirated.
A linking /r/ links consonants.
A syllabic sound is located at the beginning of a syllable.
(4 marks)
T
T
T
F
F
T
F
F
End of Exam
Good Luck
EL120: MTA Fall 2013-2014
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