Mid Term Questions of Previous Years

Introduction to Linguistics II, Mid-Term, 1.12.2006

1) What is the significance of learning “Discourse Analysis” and “Pragmatics” in our Department? How do you think you can make use of this perspective in your prospective classes? Answer this question by considering other courses that you’ve taken and you still are.(30 p)

2) How can you prove that language is not a system but action? Explain this fact by giving real examples from your own life. (30 p)

3) Analyze the following dialogue according to “Gricean Maxims”, “The Script Theory” and Sinclair and Coulthard’s theory on “Discourse of a Class”. (40 p)


T: Any questions? Do you understand everything?
Ss: Š (no one responds)
T: Okay, how many people were speaking?
Ss: Š (no response)
T: How many people were speaking?
Ss: Š (no response)
T: There were two. Two people. Were they friends or strangers?
Ss: Š (no response)Š