Question 14
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])
According to the passage, international English is
- A.a kind of arbitrary classification
- B.an imaginary classification
- C.an informal standard
- D.a recognized formal standard.
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: B (an imaginary classification)
Explanation
The passage calls international English a 'hypothetical classification', i.e. an imaginary one that the standard varieties only approach.