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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. English is the language of _____________________.

2. What does the author feel there is a lack of among English native speakers?

3. British surnames are the product of confusing pronunciations and ____________________.

4. From whom did North American settlers borrow words?

5. What is the second word game described by the author in Chapter 15?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the role of immigrants to North America on the evolution of the English language.

2. How does the author explain the development of British and American surnames?

3. What is the author's opinion on who actually controls the English language?

4. What is the origin of the crossword puzzle?

5. Describe the evolution of swear words.

6. One of the most interesting words created in North America was "O.K." What is the background behind this new word?

7. In addition to English, what other languages have been proposed as international languages?

8. What is the author's position on many spelling and grammar rules?

9. What is the author's final position on the future of the English language?

10. What is the challenge of determining the actual number of words in the English language?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain noted linguist Noam Chomsky's argument that children have inherent "ground rules" that help them learn their language. What other theories exist to explain how children learn to speak?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the differences between pictographic languages and phonetic languages and give examples of each.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the Great Vowel Shift. Where did it occur? When did it occur? What was its purpose? What was the outcome?

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