Attitudes To Language - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 09 Academic Reading Test 3 · Part 1 · Questions 1–13
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Attitudes to language
It is not easy to be systematic and objective about language study. Popular linguistic debate regularly deteriorates into invective and polemic. Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. And when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education.
Language, moreover, is a very public behaviour, so it is easy for different usages to be noted and criticised. No part of society or social behaviour is exempt: linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival. As a result, it is easy to hurt, and to be hurt, when language use is unfeelingly attacked.
In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community. The view is propounded especially in relation to grammar and vocabulary, and frequently with reference to pronunciation. The variety which is favoured, in this account, is usually a version of the ‘standard’ written language, especially as encountered in literature, or in the formal spoken language which most closely reflects this style. Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write ‘correctly’; deviations from it are said to be ‘incorrect’.
All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries. The aims of these early grammarians were threefold: (a) they wanted to codify the principles of their languages, to show that there was a system beneath the apparent chaos of usage, (b) they wanted a means of settling disputes over usage, and (c) they wanted to point out what they felt to be common errors, in order to ‘improve’ the language. The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on ‘rules’ of grammar. Some usages are ‘prescribed’, to be learnt and followed accurately; others are ‘proscribed’, to be avoided. In this early period, there were no half-measures: usage was either right or wrong, and it was the task of the grammarian not simply to record alternatives, but to pronounce judgement upon them.
These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained. Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with standards than with the facts of linguistic usage. This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe - to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language’. Linguistic issues, it is argued, cannot be solved by logic and legislation. And this view has become the tenet of the modern linguistic approach to grammatical analysis.
In our own time, the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and ‘prescriptivists’ has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other. Descriptive grammarians have been presented as people who do not care about standards, because of the way they see all forms of usage as equally valid. Prescriptive grammarians have been presented as blind adherents to a historical tradition. The opposition has even been presented in quasi-political terms - of radical liberalism vs elitist conservatism.
Questions
Questions 1–8 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Questions 9–12 Summary Completion
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.
A. descriptivists | B. language experts | C. popular speech
D. formal language | E. evaluation | F. rules
G. modern linguists | H. prescriptivists | I. change
The language debate
According to 9, there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this approach to language place great importance on grammatical 10.
Conversely, the view of 11, such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on 12.
Questions 13–13 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | YES | Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. And when opinions differ, emotions can run high | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that since language is used by every person, everyone believes they are allowed to have their own ideas about it. When these ideas are different, people get very emotional and start to argue. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means the writer believes there are clear and logical reasons why people disagree and fight about how language is used. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the writer explains several reasons why people argue about language. For example, the text says 'language belongs to everyone,' which makes people feel they have a right to their own 'opinion' about it. The writer also points out that language is 'public behaviour,' making it easy for people to 'criticise' (point out mistakes in) others. These factors explain why 'arguments' and strong 'emotions' are common when it comes to linguistic issues. |
| Q2 | NO | Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that people fight about small habits in the way we speak or write just as much as they fight about big rules for how language is taught in schools. Answer Explanation: The answer is NO because the statement is incorrect according to the writer. It is not true that people care more about education than small language mistakes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the text says that people get into arguments about small details of language just as often and as intensely as they do about big education rules. The writer uses the phrase 'as easily as' to show that both small 'minor points' and big 'major policies' cause strong feelings and arguments equally. Therefore, one does not cause stronger feelings than the other. |
| Q3 | YES | No part of society or social behaviour is exempt: linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that many things about a person, such as their personality and how smart they are, are judged by other people based on the language they use. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the way someone speaks or writes changes what we think about how smart they are. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage states that the way people use language (linguistic factors) affects how others judge them. The text specifically lists "intelligence" as one of the things people judge when they observe someone's language. In this context, "influence" means the same as "affected" and "how we judge" means the same as "assessment." |
| Q4 | NOT GIVEN | All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that many grammar books and dictionaries were written in the 18th century, but it does not mention how much they cost. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the text does not say whether the books were expensive or cheap during the 1700s. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the text mentions the 18th century and the creation of grammar books, it never talks about the price of the books or money. It focuses on how people wanted to create rules for language and fix common errors, but there is no information about how much a person had to pay to buy these books. |
| Q5 | YES | These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained In our own time, the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and ‘prescriptivists’ has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that these old ways of thinking are 'still with us,' meaning they have not disappeared. It also mentions that 'in our own time' (meaning right now), there is a strong disagreement between people called prescriptivists and descriptivists. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means that the writer agrees with the statement that prescriptivism—the idea that there are 'correct' and 'incorrect' ways to use language—is still something people believe in nowadays. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the author explicitly states that the old 'attitudes' or ways of thinking about language are 'still with us' today. The writer explains that people still worry about keeping language 'correct' or following certain standards. Furthermore, the passage describes the current relationship between two groups of people—descriptivists and prescriptivists—using the phrase 'In our own time,' which confirms that these people and their beliefs exist now. |
| Q6 | YES | This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe - to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the goal of this approach is to write down how language is actually used. It says that trying to stop language from changing is a job that cannot be done. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means that descriptivists believe it is not useful or possible to try to prevent language from changing over time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage explains that descriptivists (those who follow the 'descriptive' approach) believe their job is to record how language is used, rather than telling people how it should be used. It explicitly states that they view 'halting language change'—meaning stopping changes in how people speak or write—as an 'impossible task.' Therefore, they believe trying to stop these changes is pointless. Key terms to note are 'impossible tasks,' which acts as a synonym for 'pointless,' and 'halting,' which means 'stopping.' |
| Q7 | NO | In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language’ | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in the late 1700s (the 18th century), there were already supporters of the descriptivist idea, such as Joseph Priestley, who believed that the way people naturally talk is the only true rule for a language. Answer Explanation: The answer NO means that the statement is false. Descriptivism did not start only after the 18th century; it was already present during that time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage states that the descriptivist view (the 'alternative point of view' focused on describing facts) was already supported by people in the second half of the 18th century. It gives the example of Joseph Priestley, who wrote a book in 1761—which is in the middle of the 18th century—supporting the idea that language should be based on how people speak rather than strict rules. |
| Q8 | YES | In our own time, the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and ‘prescriptivists’ has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that in current times, the disagreement between these two groups has become very strong. As a result, each side describes the other in a way that is not based on reality. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means that the statement accurately reflects the writer's opinion. The writer believes that both language groups (descriptivists and prescriptivists) are shown in a way that is not true or fair. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the text states that both groups are 'painting unreal pictures of the other.' To paint an 'unreal picture' of someone is a synonym for misrepresentation, meaning they are being described incorrectly or unfairly. The passage goes on to give examples of this misrepresentation, such as descriptivists being seen as people who don't care about standards at all. |
| Q9 | H | In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write ‘correctly’; deviations from it are said to be ‘incorrect&rsquo |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that prescriptivism is the idea that one specific type of language is better than others. It also states that the people who follow this belief think that using this specific version is the only 'correct' way to communicate, while any other way is 'incorrect.' Answer Explanation: The answer refers to people who believe there is a single, ‘right’ way to speak or write a language. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is H (prescriptivists) because the passage explains that prescriptivism is the belief that one version of a language has a higher value than others. The text says that people who follow this view (the adherents) believe that people should use language ‘correctly,’ and they see any differences as being ‘incorrect.’ This matches the summary’s statement that this group believes there is only one correct form of language. |
| Q10 | F | The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on ‘rules’ of grammar | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that this strict way of looking at language is defined by how much it depends on using specific grammar instructions. Answer Explanation: The answer means the formal instructions or laws that dictate how words and sentences should be used correctly. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'rules' because the passage explains that the prescriptivist approach (the idea that there is only one 'correct' way to speak) depends heavily on them. The text states that this method is defined by its 'reliance' on these set grammar instructions to decide what is right or wrong. Significant importance is placed on following these instructions to maintain linguistics standards. |
| Q11 | A | This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe - to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley In our own time, the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and ‘prescriptivists’ has often become extreme |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that there is a way of thinking about language where the goal is simply to record or "describe" the different ways people speak. It points out that Joseph Priestley was a famous supporter of this idea. It then mentions that today, people with this specific point of view are known as "descriptivists." Answer Explanation: The answer "descriptivists" refers to a group of people who believe that the rules of a language should come from how people actually talk and write in real life, rather than from a set of strict, traditional rules found in old books. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "descriptivists" because the passage identifies an "alternative point of view" where the goal of a grammarian is to "describe" language as it is used, rather than telling people how they should speak. It specifically names Joseph Priestley as an "advocate" (supporter) of this approach. Later in the text, it labels this side of the language debate as "descriptivists," creating a direct link between Priestley's descriptive approach and the term used in the answer choice. |
| Q12 | C | In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language&rsquo | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage clearly states Priestley’s belief that how people actually talk—the 'custom of speaking'—is the only fair and original way to judge or set the rules for a language. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'popular speech', which refers to the natural and common way that ordinary people talk in their daily lives. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is selected because the summary asks what Joseph Priestley believed grammar should be based on. According to the text, Priestley argued that the 'custom of speaking' is the only proper standard for language. The phrase 'popular speech' in choice C is a synonym for 'custom of speaking,' representing how language is used by the general public rather than following rigid, artificial rules. |
| Q13 | B | All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language’. Linguistic issues, it is argued, cannot be solved by logic and legislation. And this view has become the tenet of the modern linguistic approach to grammatical analysis |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that in the 1700s, people started to study language by making rules for what is 'correct.' It also shows that during that same time, some people (like Joseph Priestley) thought that the way people actually speak is the only real rule. The passage then says this second idea is the main part of how modern experts study language today. Answer Explanation: The answer means the writer's goal is to tell the story of how people's different ideas about language have changed and developed over many years. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains how people looked at language in the past (the 18th century) and how they look at it now. It talks about two main groups: one that wanted to make strict rules ('prescriptivism') and another that wanted to describe how people really talk ('descriptivism'). By showing how these two groups' ideas started long ago and continue to conflict today, the writer is giving a historical report of different opinions. |