View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 6.1 | Chapter 6.2.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What word in common honorifics did Edwin S. Gould protest against omitting in 1867?
(a) Most.
(b) The.
(c) Very.
(d) Right.

2. Which is the second factor that Mencken identifies as an impediment to the growth of the American language in Chapter 3.1?
(a) Regional diversity.
(b) Political disharmony.
(c) Lack of a national literature.
(d) Territorial expansiveness.

3. In what language did the American derivative "coyote" originate?
(a) Mayan.
(b) French.
(c) Aztec.
(d) Spanish.

4. What sound did Webster object to inserting in words such as "gradual" and "nature," before the "u"?
(a) T.
(b) Y.
(c) Ch.
(d) Dh.

5. According to Benjamin Franklin, what was roughly the population of the colonies in 1751?
(a) 50,000,000
(b) 1,000,000
(c) 500,000
(d) 10,000,000

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the universal substitute for the word "ye" as described in Chapter 6.2?

2. What class of Americans is most influenced by Briticisms, according to Mencken in Chapter 5.2?

3. Which European language has exerted the most influence on the American language?

4. What vowel sound was dominant in 18th century New England pronunciation, despite common protests to the contrary?

5. What is the English meaning of the phrase "to carry on"?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 201 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample