View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the English language, what has a range of possibilities not available in other languages?
(a) Adverbs
(b) A wide alphabet
(c) A vowel system
(d) Consonants

2. Chapter 6 addresses the changing pronunciation of which language over time?
(a) English
(b) Celtic
(c) Italian
(d) French

3. In Chapter 4, the author traces the development of English in what country?
(a) France
(b) Norway
(c) Spain
(d) United Kingdom

4. The author decides it is ______________ to divide the U.S. into distinct accents.
(a) futile
(b) fun
(c) easy
(d) frustrating

5. What does English manage to avoid that are present in other languages?
(a) Jargon
(b) Tense shifts
(c) The complexities of address
(d) Acronyms

6. Many English speakers promote the particular variety of English that they speak while ____________________ the dialects of speakers from other regions.
(a) trying
(b) mimicking
(c) studying
(d) ridiculing

7. In what time period does the event from #67 occur?
(a) 1930s
(b) 1800s
(c) 1500s
(d) 1960s

8. According to the author, regional accents ___________.
(a) are hysterical
(b) are too numerous to count
(c) overlap each other
(d) are dying out

9. The differences between languages bring up questions about what?
(a) Their purpose
(b) Their clarity
(c) Their ease of use
(d) Their origins and place within the human story

10. What system allows English speakers to communicate efficiently in writing?
(a) Syllabic
(b) Phonetic
(c) Ebonic
(d) Tonal

11. Which group surprisingly makes grammar and word mistakes?
(a) Famous authors
(b) Scholars
(c) Clergymen
(d) Professors

12. What is an important benefit of the Asian pictograph languages?
(a) Cultural integrity
(b) Connection to modern and ancient texts
(c) Elegant styling
(d) Instant recognition

13. Who were two champions for the simplification of English spelling?
(a) Ben Franklin and John Adams
(b) Thomas Jefferson and Noah Webster
(c) Ben Franklin and Noah Webster
(d) Ben Franklin and Guttenberg

14. The English writing system developed from what?
(a) Cave drawings
(b) Pictographs
(c) Markings on trees
(d) Etchings on leaves

15. According to the author, varieties of English are heavily influenced by what?
(a) geographic reasons
(b) financial reasons
(c) ancestral reasons
(d) social reasons

Short Answer Questions

1. When does modern English begin to emerge?

2. Who are often responsible for coining new words?

3. What profession encourages expressions that make numbers and letters clearer when communicating by radio?

4. Who is the Venerable Bede?

5. Which part of Spain often engages in violence to protect its language?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 369 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample