This assessment consists of ten multiple choice questions. Select the best answer to each question. If you are not sure of the correct answer, take your best guess. Each question has only one correct answer.

1. Which of the following statements about the terms lexicon and semantics is accurate?

  • Lexicon and semantics mean about the same thing.
  • Lexicon is the opposite of semantic.
  • Lexicon refers to all the words in a language (or language variety) while semantics refers to the ways sound and meaning are related.
  • Semantics refers to all the words in a language (or language variety) while lexicon refers to the ways sound and meaning are related.
  • Lexicon is a synonym for vocabulary while semantics is a synonym for meaning.

2. Which of the following words or phrases might a speaker of African-American English use to emphatically say herself?

  • sheself
  • her and herself
  • herselfish
  • her’s own self
  • herownself

3. What is the closest Standard English equivalent of the African-American English sentence Her mouth steady runnin’?

  • She is speaking in a steady, even manner.
  • She is talking nonstop.
  • She is drooling.
  • She has lost control of her mouth.
  • She is speaking very quickly.

4. Which of the following words in African-American English is not a synonym for money?

  • change
  • skrilla
  • paper
  • duckets
  • bling

5. What does a speaker of African-American English mean when he says I’m finna get my sleep on?

  • I’m getting ready to get out of bed.
  • I’m planning to sleep on top of something.
  • I’m about to go to sleep.
  • I’ll soon get moving.
  • None of the above.

6. What is the closest Standard English equivalent to the African-American English sentence He got a prettyass whip?

  • There is no Standard English equivalent.
  • He got a whipping (i.e., got spanked)
  • He got beat up (i.e., got his ass whipped)
  • He has a very nice car.
  • This is not something a speaker of African-American English is likely to say.

7. What is primary difference between calling a man a dog in Standard English and calling a man a dawg in African-American English?

  • There is no difference other than a slight variance in pronunciation.
  • In Standard English, it is probably meant as an insult but in African-American English, it is probably meant as a compliment.
  • It is meant as in insult in both language varieties, but the intensity of the insult is greater in Standard English than in African-American English.
  • In Standard English, this is something that a person of any age might say but in African-American English, only a teenager is likely to say this.
  • In Standard English, this is something that only a woman is likely to say, but in African-American English, this is something that only a man is likely to say.

8. Which of the following terms would probably not be used by a speaker of African-American English to refer to a white person?

  • ashy
  • miss
  • homeboy
  • wifey
  • playa

9. What does a speaker of African-American English mean when she says I stay in Miami?

  • I frequently visit Miami.
  • I’m staying in Miami for a while.
  • I live in Miami.
  • I’m stuck in Miami.
  • I’m in Miami all the time.

10. Which of the following is not a variant of the African-American English term finna? In other words, which of the following terms would no speaker of African-American English ever use?

  • funna
  • fudna
  • fitna
  • fixna
  • fuzna