# Attitudes to language: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 3, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 3, Reading Passage 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | YES | Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. |
| 2 | NO | Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education. |
| 3 | YES | Linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence |
| 4 | NOT GIVEN | All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries. |
| 5 | YES | These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained. |
| 6 | YES | not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change |
| 7 | NO | In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley |
| 8 | YES | with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other |
| 9 | H | prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others |
| 10 | F | The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on 'rules' of grammar. |
| 11 | A | it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe |
| 12 | C | the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language |
| 13 | B | In this early period, there were no half-measures ... In our own time, the opposition between 'descriptivists' and 'prescriptivists' has often become extreme |

## Why these answers are right

**1. YES.** The statement says arguments about language have understandable causes. Paragraph A explains them: language belongs to everyone, so people feel entitled to an opinion, and emotions run high when opinions differ. Giving these reasons shows the writer sees the arguments as understandable, so YES.

**2. NO.** The statement claims people care more about language education than about small usage differences. Paragraph A says arguments start as easily over minor points of usage as over major education policies, which treats the two as equal and contradicts the idea of stronger feeling, so NO.

**3. YES.** The statement links our view of a person's intelligence to their language use. Paragraph B says linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status and other parts of identity, so the writer agrees that language use affects how we assess intelligence.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/attitudes-to-language/answers).

[Practice Attitudes to language](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/attitudes-to-language)