Syntactic Structures by Noam Chomsky

1. In 'Syntactic Structures', published in 1957, Noam Chomsky revolutionized the field of linguistics with his introduction of transformational grammar, proposing that the syntactic structure of language is not merely a set of arbitrary rules but instead reflects an underlying cognitive capability inherent to humans. Chomsky argued that this innate grammar allows individuals to generate and understand an infinite set of sentences, despite only being exposed to a finite amount of linguistic input during their development. The book critiques the behaviorist view that language acquisition can be explained solely through conditioning and imitation, instead positing that children possess an intrinsic understanding of grammar that guides their learning. This work laid the foundation for modern linguistics, influencing various domains such as cognitive science, philosophy, and psychology, while also sparking extensive debates regarding the nature of language, thought, and the universal principles that govern all human languages. Chomsky's innovative ideas continue to shape linguistic theory and inspire ongoing research into the complexities of language structure and acquisition.

What year was Noam Chomsky's 'Syntactic Structures' first published?

A) 1957
B) 1948
C) 1965
D) 1971

2. According to 'Syntactic Structures', the primary goal of linguistics is to...

A) Teach people how to speak correctly.
B) Construct a formal theory of grammar.
C) Catalog all the world's languages.
D) Describe the historical evolution of language.

3. Chomsky argues that a grammar should be a system of rules that can...

A) Predict how language will change over time.
B) Generate all and only the grammatical sentences of a language.
C) Define the meaning of every word.
D) Translate sentences between different languages.

4. The concept of 'linguistic competence' refers to a speaker-hearer's...

A) Implicit knowledge of their language.
B) Ability to speak multiple languages.
C) Formal education in grammar.
D) Public speaking skills.

5. Chomsky's approach to syntax is primarily...

A) Behaviorist.
B) Generative.
C) Structuralist.
D) Functional.

6. To address the limitations of phrase structure rules, Chomsky introduced...

A) Pragmatic rules.
B) Phonological rules.
C) Transformational rules.
D) Semantic rules.

7. In Chomsky's model, a transformational rule operates on...

A) The underlying phrase structure of a sentence.
B) The meaning of individual words.
C) The social context of an utterance.
D) The sound waves of speech.

8. The sentence 'Colorless green ideas sleep furiously' is used by Chomsky to illustrate that...

A) Poetry violates grammatical rules.
B) Grammaticality is independent of meaning.
C) Adjectives must agree with nouns.
D) All sentences must be meaningful.

9. According to 'Syntactic Structures', the grammaticality of a sentence is a matter of its...

A) Clarity and simplicity.
B) Conformity to the rules of the grammar.
C) Acceptability to all native speakers.
D) Truth value or factual accuracy.

10. What does Chomsky mean by an 'adequate' theory of language?

A) It must be based on observable speech data only.
B) It must be applicable to computer programming.
C) It must be easy for children to learn.
D) It must account for the linguistic intuition of the native speaker.

11. Chomsky's work in 'Syntactic Structures' was a direct challenge to which school of thought?

A) Romanticism.
B) Behaviorism.
C) Platonism.
D) Empiricism.

12. A 'finite-state grammar' is rejected by Chomsky because it is...

A) Inadequate for describing natural language.
B) A type of transformational grammar.
C) Too complex to be learned.
D) Focused only on word meaning.

13. The book begins with the assertion that linguistics is a subfield of...

A) Biology.
B) Psychology.
C) Sociology.
D) Anthropology.

14. The kernel of a language, as discussed in the book, consists of...

A) All possible questions.
B) Simple, active, declarative sentences.
C) Sentences with complex metaphors.
D) The most frequently used words.

15. A phrase structure rule like 'S -> NP VP' indicates that...

A) A sentence is synonymous with a noun phrase.
B) All sentences must have a verb.
C) A verb phrase must come before a noun phrase.
D) A sentence can be rewritten as a Noun Phrase and a Verb Phrase.

16. A transformational rule would be used to derive a passive sentence from...

A) A question.
B) A single word.
C) A meaningless string.
D) An active sentence.

17. Chomsky's theory proposes that language has...

A) Primary and secondary meanings.
B) Deep structure and surface structure.
C) Formal and informal registers.
D) Written and spoken forms.

18. The concept of 'recursion' in syntax allows for...

A) The creation of new words.
B) Sentences to be translated.
C) The embedding of phrases within phrases.
D) Words to change their pronunciation.

19. The 'Standard Theory' that developed from 'Syntactic Structures' includes which component?

A) A component solely for social context.
B) A component that ignores syntax.
C) A list of all possible sentences.
D) A syntactic component with base and transformational rules.

20. Which of these is a type of transformation discussed in 'Syntactic Structures'?

A) Semantic shift
B) Metaphorical transformation
C) Passive transformation
D) Historical sound change

21. What famous sentence does Chomsky use to illustrate the difference between grammaticality and meaningfulness?

A) "It was a dark and stormy night."
B) "To be or not to be, that is the question."
C) "The cat sat on the mat."
D) "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously."

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