This document contains an answer key for a reading comprehension test on sociolinguistic patterns. The test covers topics such as lexical and phonological differences caused by social class, the effects of urbanization on language, and how standardization can promote inequality. It also asks test-takers to identify factors that influence language use, such as social context, relationship between participants, and purpose of communication. The answer key provides explanations of phonological and grammatical variables in English varieties and how external sociolinguistic patterns can shape a language. It concludes that standard languages arise through deliberate planning over long periods rather than natural linguistic evolution.

1. Answer Key: Reading comprehension test
“Sociolinguistic Patterns”
I. - Complete the following sentences with the appropriate word(s). (10 pts.)
1. - Social class causes differences in the language such as lexical and phonological
differences.
2. - Sociolinguistic consequences of urbanization promote linguistic diversity as well as
uniformity.
3. - Standardization is one of the main agents of inequality.
4. - Women tend to use higher-status variants more frequently than men.
5. - Social network can be classified into dense network and multiplex network.
II.-Circle the right answer (5 pts.)
1 Style can range from formal to informal depending on:
a) Social context and the relationship of the participants.
b) Social class, sex, topic and age.
c) Social context, relationship of the participants, social class, sex, age, physical
environment, and topic.
2 what are the regional patterns of sociolinguistic?
a) Migration and Social class.
b) Urbanization and social context
c) Migration and Urbanization.
3 Hypercorrection is:
a) Non-standard usage from the over-application of a rule of grammar.
b) When women tend to hypercorrect more than men.
c) The standard usage from the over-application of a rule of phonetics.
4 Urbanization is connected with:
a) An increase in social stratification.
b) A decrease in social figures.
c) An increase in health problems.

2. 5 Language use depends on:
a) The purpose of giving a speech.
b) The situation and the purpose of communication.
c) The relationship of its participants.
III. - Answer the following questions. (15pts.)
1 What are the phonological variables of English varieties? Explain them. (3 pts.)
The phonological variables are:
Postvocalic /r/
England: the loss of /r/ following by a consonant but not a vowel.
USA: the distribution of postvocalic /r/ reflects the history of settlement patterns (colonist)
from Britain.
Ing: alveolar /n/ nasal /ŋ/
Lower person’s social status uses alveolar /n/
/h/: alternation between /h/ and a lack of /h/
Urban accents do not have initials /h/ heart, hill, etc.
2 What are the grammatical variables of English varieties? (2 pts.)
The variable concerns the use of non-standard third person singular present tense verb
form without –S e.g: she go.
3 Which are the external patterns that affect language? (1 pt.)
The external patterns that affect language are social class, age, sex, style and network.
4 How the English Language is affected by sociolinguistic patterns? (2 pts.)
English Language is affected depending on the context. For example, sociolinguistic
patterns can provide not only characteristic of the language, but also characteristic of the
people who speak it. A clear example of it is the working class that is characterized by
social class pattern.
5 Why standard languages do not arise via “natural” course of linguistic evolution?
(2 pts.)
This happened because they are created by conscious and deliberate planning, which
may spam centuries. Standard languages cannot spring into existence.
Rosa González
Jaime Sáez