UGC NET English June 2024 Solved Paper: Linguistics & ELT

Correct Answer: 3 (C and B only)

Explanation (Structural Linguistics): Ferdinand de Saussure, in his Course in General Linguistics, established the foundation of structuralism by separating the abstract system of language from its physical usage.

• Langue (B): This is the abstract social system of rules, grammar, and signs that exist in the collective mind of a community. It is the "internal structure" that makes communication possible.
• Parole (C): This is the actual utterance or "event" of speech. It is individual, variable, and the physical realization of langue in a specific moment.
• The Translation (A): ❌ This statement is a trick—it swaps the terms. Langue = Language System; Parole = Speech/Utterance.
• The Binary (E): ❌ This distinction is the very heart of Saussurean linguistics; without it, the structural study of language as a stable system wouldn't exist.

Analogy: Think of Langue as the rules of Chess and Parole as an individual game played by two people.

Correct Answer: 4 (A–II, B–I, C–IV, D–III)

Explanation (Grammar & Syntax): This question covers technical linguistic terms related to sentence structure and word associations.

• Protasis & Apodosis (A-II, B-I): These terms describe the two parts of a conditional sentence. The Protasis is the "If" clause (the condition), while the Apodosis is the "Then" clause (the consequence).
  Example: If you study (Protasis), you will pass (Apodosis).
• Collocation (C-IV): This refers to words that naturally "hang out" together. For example, we say "heavy rain" but not "thick rain," and "fast food" but not "quick food."
• Copular Verb (D-III): A linking verb (like is, am, are, seem, look, become) that connects the subject to a subject complement (an adjective or noun that describes it).
  Example: "The sky is blue."

Correct Answer: 2 (B and D only)

Explanation (Phonetics and Poetics): Prosody is a dual-purpose term that applies to both the structural analysis of verse and the acoustic properties of speech.

• In Poetics (B): Prosody is the systematic study of versification. This includes analyzing meter (iambic, trochaic, etc.), rhyme schemes, and stanzaic patterns.
• In Linguistics (D): It refers to suprasegmental features—elements of speech that aren't individual vowels or consonants but properties of larger units like syllables or sentences. These include intonation (melody), pitch, stress (emphasis), and tempo.
• The Distractors (A, C, E): Narrative techniques (A), theatrical devices (C), and discourse delivery (E) fall under Narratology, Dramaturgy, and Rhetoric/Pragmatics respectively. While they may overlap with prosody in practice, they are not defined by the term.

Correct Answer: 4 (Wide Sargasso Sea)

Explanation (Postcolonial Literature & Sociolinguistics): Creolisation refers to the process of cultural and linguistic mixing that occurs in colonial societies, leading to the emergence of new, hybrid identities.

• Wide Sargasso Sea (4): Jean Rhys, herself a white Creole from Dominica, uses the novel to explore the "in-between" identity of Antoinette Cosway. Antoinette is rejected by both the black Caribbean community (who see her as a "white cockroach") and the white European community (who see her as an inferior, "tainted" Creole).
• The Process: The novel captures the essence of creolisation through its portrayal of language (Patois vs. Standard English), religion (Obeah), and the fragmented psyche of a character caught between two worlds.
• Distractors: My Son's Story (Gordimer) deals with Apartheid; Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (Pilkington) addresses the Stolen Generations; Things Fall Apart (Achebe) focuses on the clash between indigenous Igbo culture and European colonialism, but not the specific hybridity of creolisation.

Correct Answer: 3 (C and D only)

Explanation (Linguistic Categories): This question focuses on the fundamental distinctions established by Ferdinand de Saussure and basic terminology in linguistics.

• Synchronic vs. Diachronic (C & D): These are two complementary ways of looking at language. Synchronic looks at language like a "snapshot" at one moment (usually the present), while Diachronic looks at it like a "video," tracing changes over centuries.
• Orthoepy (A): ❌ Incorrect. Orthoepy is the study of correct pronunciation (ortho- = correct; -epy = speech), not grammar.
• Philology (B): ❌ Incorrect. Philology is the historical and comparative study of language through written texts. The definition provided in the statement actually describes Phonology.
• Phonology (E): ❌ Incorrect. Phonology is the study of speech sounds and their patterns. The study of language in social/cultural contexts is called Sociolinguistics.

Correct Answer: 3 (A–II, B–I, C–IV, D–III)

Explanation (Morphology & Syntax): This question focuses on the relationships between words in a sentence and the basic building blocks of language.

• Anaphoric word & Antecedent (A-II, C-IV): These are two sides of the same coin. An Anaphor (like "she" or "him") points back to an Antecedent (the actual name or noun mentioned earlier).
  Example: "Maya (Antecedent) told her (Anaphor) mother the news."
• Morpheme (B-I): The smallest unit of meaning. It can be a whole word (cat) or a part of a word (the -s in cats). You cannot break it down further without losing meaning.
• Periphrasis (D-III): A roundabout way of saying something. In grammar, it refers to using a multi-word phrase to convey a grammatical meaning that could potentially be expressed by an inflection.
  Example: Using "more beautiful" (periphrastic) instead of adding an ending like "-er" (inflectional).

Correct Answer: 2 (A, C, E only)

Explanation (Lexicography & Indian English): The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has been increasingly inclusive of "World Englishes," specifically Indian English, recognizing its unique vocabulary and cultural impact.

• Chai (A): Officially added and defined as a specific type of spiced Indian tea brewed with milk and sugar.
• Jugaad (C): Added to the OED in 2017. It is defined as a flexible approach to problem-solving using limited resources in an innovative way—a term that has gained global recognition in business management.
• Namaste (E): A long-standing cultural term formally incorporated as a respectful greeting or farewell used primarily in Hindu contexts but recognized globally.
• The Exclusions (B & D): ❌ While words like "Bhai" (brother) are present, "Bhaijaan" is not a standalone entry. Similarly, "Kamaal" (wonderful/miracle) has not yet been formally inducted into the dictionary.