NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA 
                 SCHOOL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE 
                     COURSE CODE: LIN 111 
               COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS I 
              
                                LIN 111                                                        INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS I 
                                LIN 111 
                                INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS I 
                                Course Developers/Writers Christine I. Ofulue, PhD 
                                                    National Open University of Nigeria 
                                                    Mfon Brownson Ekpe 
                                                    Covenant University 
                                                    Ota, Ogun State 
                                Course Editor         Professor Francis Egbokhare 
                                                    University of Ibadan, Ibadan 
                                                    Oyo State 
                                   
                                Programme Leader Christine I. Ofulue, Ph. D 
                                                    National Open University of Nigeria 
                                Course Co-ordinator   Iyere Theodore 
                                                    National Open University of Nigeria 
                                        
                                 
                                NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA 
                                ii 
           
                   LIN 111                                                                        INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS I 
                   National Open University of Nigeria 
                   Headquarters 
                   14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way 
                   Victoria Island 
                   Lagos 
                   Abuja Office 
                   No. 5 Dar es Salaam Street  
                   Off Aminu Kano Crescent 
                   Wuse II, Abuja 
                   Nigeria 
                   e-mail:  centralinfo@nou.edu.ng 
                   URL:    www.nou.edu.ng 
                   Published by 
                   National Open University of Nigeria  
                   Printed 2009 
                   ISBN:  978-058-403-X 
                   All Rights Reserved 
                                                        iii 
               
                                  LIN 111                                                          INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS I 
                                  CONTENTS                                         PAGE 
                                  Introduction ……………………………………………………….   1  
                                  Course Aims …………………………………………..………….  1  
                                  Course Objectives ………………………………….…………….  1 
                                  Working through this Course…………………….……………… 2  
                                  Course Materials…………………………..……………………… 2 
                                  Study Units………………………………..……………………… 2 
                                  Textbooks and References ………………………….…………… 3  
                                  Assessment ………………………………………….…………… 3  
                                  Tutor Marked Assignment …………………….….……………... 3  
                                  Final Examination and Grading …………….…………………… 4 
                                  Course Marking Scheme………………………………………… 4 
                                  Course Overview………………………………………………… 4 
                                  How to Get the Most from this Course…………….…………….. 5  
                                  Facilitators/Tutors and Tutorials ………………………………….. 5  
                                  Summary ……………………………………………….………… 6    
                                  Introduction 
                                  LIN   111   is  a   one-semester,  three-credit  units  100-level  course.   It   is  
                                  designed  for   students   whose   major  discipline   is  English.  The  course  
                                  consists   of   fourteen   units   which   cover   a   general   introduction   to  
                                  iv