Question 11
ComprehensionJAMB 1995 Passage III: Standard English and dialects
Standard English refers to the authoritative and correct usage of the language, the medium of expression for government and education. Its opposite is a dialectal variant of the language, that is, accepted and recognized words, expressions and structures peculiar to a smaller group of language users who are generally set apart from standard usage by cultural group or geographical region. For example, Nigerian, American, Irish and British English differ from one another in many respects and each is identifiable, yet in every case the standard variety approaches a single and hypothetical classification known as international English. As one moves towards informality and away from the observance of strict rules, emphasis falls on the differences between dialects. In addition to American English being distinguishable from British English, it is also true that British English is not uniform within the United Kingdom. The level of formality is determined by education and aspiration, while dialects vary from region to region
(The Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife: The Use of English Text [1980])
(The Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife: The Use of English Text [1980])
The author refers to standard English as
- A.a dialectal variant of language
- B.an authoritative style of usage
- C.the orthodox and accurate usage of the language
- D.the accepted and recognized words, expressions and structures, peculiar to a smaller group of language users
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: B (an authoritative style of usage)
Explanation
The passage defines standard English as 'the authoritative and correct usage of the language', i.e. an authoritative style of usage.