AQA A-level English Language – Language Change Practice Test

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• Which statement about pronunciation is considered proper in prescriptive views on English?
• Which term describes broadening of a word's meaning over time?
• What is the Great Vowel Shift and roughly when did it occur?
• Register is defined as what in language study?
• Bailey's Wave Model uses which central metaphor for language change?
• Reformists during the spelling reform debate proposed two main approaches: enlarging the alphabet to reflect sounds or retraining the spelling system.
• Which characteristic is associated with the Circle of World English?
• Which term describes the shortened form of a word produced by clipping, such as "bus" from "omnibus"?
• What is the difference between the wave model and the tree model of language change diffusion?
• What is standard English?
• What best describes a retronym?
• What is singular they and what does it illustrate about language change?
• Which describes the Circle of World English theory?
• Which term best contrasts with descriptivism by asserting that some language forms are inherently superior?
• Substratum Theory includes the idea that when learners acquire a new language, they may pass on phonetic imperfections to future generations.
• Which statement is an example of semantic narrowing?
• Which of the following is one of Donald Mackinnon's attitudinal categories toward language use?
• Distinguish semantic narrowing from semantic bleaching with examples.
• Which statement best describes the shift in English pronouns from Old to Modern English?
• Which theory posits language changes because society does?
• Why is the Great Vowel Shift considered a key event in language change?
• Why is it important to use multiple texts or corpora when studying language change?
• Which is an example of semantic shift in modern English?
• Why is analyzing texts from different periods important for language change?
• In the S-curve model, what happens during the leveling off stage?
• Provide two examples of words borrowed from non-European languages into English and their language of origin.
• Which statement about Global English is accurate?
• What does a collocation indicate about language change?
• The Inkhorn controversy is associated with which trend?
• Functional shift is the conversion of one word class to another.
• Which mechanism describes how a linguistic feature spreads from one speech community to another, often influenced by prestige?
• Middle English corresponds to around the time of the Norman Conquest. When did that occur?
• Affixation is adding a prefix or suffix to a word.
• Which claim reflects a critical stance toward prescriptive authorities like Lowth and Murray?
• What is a loanword?
• Which of the following is one of the attitudes Donald Mackinnon categorizes toward language use?
• Which historical change is commonly associated with orthography-pronunciation mismatches in English?
• Which term is NOT part of Kachru's three circles of English?
• Aitchison's metaphors for language change include a metaphor describing it as a crumbling entity. Which metaphor is this?
• Robert Lowth, in 1762, wrote an influential grammar book that did what?
• Which statement best describes Norse influence on English?
• Which date is associated with the Norman Conquest?
• How do you evaluate evidence of language change in a given text?
• Which of the following is a Webster's differences example?
• In Old English, which pronoun was used for singular informal address?
• Which sentence demonstrates semantic bleaching?
• Which statement best describes age-graded usage as evidence of language change?
• Which statement best describes the Inkhorn controversy?
• What is language variation?
• Which claim is attributed to Kandiah regarding the spread of English?
• According to Trudgill's Yorkshire case study, which archaic forms were still in use?
• According to Halliday's functional theory, what primarily drives language change?
• What diffusion pattern does Trudgill's critique emphasize?
• Which term refers to random fluctuations in language change, likened to fashion?
• Which word is an example of a Norse lexical borrowing into English?
• What is semantic bleaching?
• What was the main effect of the Great Vowel Shift on spelling-pronunciation relationships?
• What is corpus evidence and how can it be used to track language change over time?
• How can orthography reform influence language change?
• Which term describes the process by which a word gains a new meaning, such as "gay" historically meaning joyful?
• Which term best describes the view that language should reflect how people actually speak?
• In Chen's S-curve model, which statement is true?
• Which spelling pair is a classic example of Webster's differences?
• How does youth slang contribute to language change?
• Which word underwent amelioration?
• What aspect did the Great Vowel Shift primarily affect in Early Modern English?
• What role do the press and dictionaries play in standardization?
• Beowulf is associated with which stage of English?
• Which process describes creating a new word by adding a prefix or suffix to an existing word?
• Which of the following is NOT a stage in Haugen's Four Stage Process?
• Which example best illustrates a sociolinguistic marker of identity or power dynamics?
• In corpus-based studies of language change, what does tracking word frequencies over time help researchers identify?
• What does the statement 'no two tides are exactly the same' imply about language change?
• Which of the following best defines a dysphemism?
• The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is best described as which idea?
• Which historical phenomenon involved a major vowel pronunciation change between roughly 1400 and 1700?
• Johnson's Dictionary, published in 1755, standardised around how many words?
• How does attitude to language influence the spread of change?
• Which statement about the role of statistics in tracking semantic shift is accurate?
• Old English is the Anglo-Saxon language spoken approximately during which period?
• Which pair illustrates an example of borrowing?
• What is political correctness primarily concerned with?
• Late Modern English is used from which period?
• What is the main difference between a diachronic linguistic approach and a synchronic linguistic approach?
• Why do nonstandard varieties persist in society?
• During the transition to Early Modern English, what change occurred in pronoun usage?
• Which statement correctly differentiates lexical diffusion from phonological diffusion?
• What term describes a word gaining a more positive meaning?
• The term orthography most directly refers to which aspect of a language?
• What is a typical focus for a Language Change exam task comparing texts from different periods?
• Early Modern English is best described as a form of English used during which years?
• What is the distinction between core vocabulary and peripheral vocabulary in change?
• Which description correctly defines zero-derivation in word formation?
• Which example illustrates gender-inclusive language development?
• Which is the most direct evidence that a current language change is underway?
• Which metaphor did Aitchison use to describe language change as an infectious disease?
• How does language contact drive change? Give an example.
• What does Synchronic change study?
• Which Haugen stage involves actions by government agencies and writers in adopting and using the norm?
• Which best describes the Inkhorn controversy?
• Which statement about a nonce word's role in lexical innovation is correct?
• How can corpora reveal language change over time?
• How has digital communication influenced spelling practices and the creation of new words?
• ELF stands for which phrase?
• Which word is a lexical borrowing from French?
• What effect does digital communication have on language change, according to the material?
• Which process involves creating a new word by removing an affix?
• Which tool is used to quantify language changes by analyzing large collections of texts?
• Which option describes the two reformist approaches to spelling reform?
• What is back-formation?
• Why is language change often uneven across social groups?
• What is a good approach to planning an exam response that compares language change in two texts?
• What is a euphemism?
• Who criticized Lowth and Murray for looking down on the working class?
• What is language change?
• Which Haugen stage involves the stabilization of the norm selected?
• Give a technology-related neologism as an example of language change.
• Which of the following is a calque example?
• What are the circles in Kachru's model?
• Which term describes a word gaining a new sense or meaning, such as historically shifting from joyful to other senses?
• Which claim is attributed to Webster in the notes?
• Which term best describes the spread of a new form across different genres of language use?
• Which two processes of lexical change are illustrated by the pairings below?
• How can etymology aid the study of language change?
• The Canterbury Tales shows which influence and lexical diversification?
• What is the purpose of examining historical context when studying language change?
• Which option would NOT be typical evidence for language change?
• How would you use a diachronic corpus to test for a semantic shift in a target word?
• What strategy helps differentiate signs of language change from an individual author's style?
• What is orthographic change and how can it influence pronunciation?
• Where did Caxton set up his printing press in 1476?
• Which of the following pairs are neologisms formed by blending?
• What is language planning and how can it affect change?
• What term describes a word gaining a negative meaning?
• Which statement best explains the tension between prescriptivism and descriptivism in education and media?
• Which terms illustrate lexical innovation driven by 20th/21st-century technology?
• Which of the following are cited as reasons for language change?
• Which term describes a shortened form of a longer word used in everyday speech, such as 'ad' from 'advertisement'?
• According to David Crystal, what primarily drove the spread of English?
• David Crystal's tide metaphor explains language change as which of the following?
• Which statement about acronym and initialism best distinguishes them?
• In what year was Samuel Johnson's Dictionary published?
• What does Linguistic Reflectionism claim about the relationship between language and society?
• Why might some innovations fail to become standard?
• By what year was English spoken by about 400 million people, leading to new varieties?
• What does the S-curve model illustrate in language change adoption?
• In language study, what is the difference between prescriptivism and descriptivism, and which approach dominates modern linguistics?
• Prescriptivism is the belief that one type of language is acceptable - judgemental.
• Which option is a clear example of semantic drift?
• Which process involves blending parts of two or more words into a new word?
• Which of the following is an example of phonological diffusion?
• Which process describes a sense shift where a word broadens its meanings over time?
• Which option correctly matches Beowulf, Chaucer, and Shakespeare to English history changes in morphology, syntax, and vocabulary?
• Which statement best captures the view that languages change because people change?
• Which type of data would be most informative for detecting semantic shifts?
• Caxton's printing press near Westminster Abbey led to which of the following about spelling?
• What is a commonly cited limitation of the Circle of World English?
• Name the four main processes of semantic change.
• What is a calque?
• Which term describes the shortening of a word to form a new word, such as "bus" from "omnibus"?
• Explain the role of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a resource for language-change research.
• How can regional dialects influence the standard language?
• Why is it important to use corpora in studying language change?
• Which pair of English words illustrates French influence on vocabulary in the Middle English period, in the legal/government and culinary domains?
• Compounding is two-words combined together.
• How many regions are used in the Circle of World English framework?
• Besides English, which language did Caxton print books in?
• What is diachronic corpus linguistics?
• What is a nonce word?
• Blending is two words moulded together (smog = smoke and fog).
• Substratum Theory proposes that when learners acquire a new language, they learn imperfectly and pass these imperfections on to future generations.
• Which word illustrates a loanword from Hindi or Urdu introduced through colonial contact?
• Which option correctly describes amelioration and pejoration?
• Which scholar is associated with the Circle of World English theory?
• How has singular they historically appeared in English?
• Which description best characterizes the Great Vowel Shift (1400–1600 AD)?
• What does diachronic change refer to in linguistics?
• Diachronic change refers to which aspect of language?
• What is a metaphorical extension in semantic change?
• Which scenario best explains the spread of a language change through a speech community?
• Webster's differences describe the divergence between American and British spellings.
• Which statement aligns with the claim about Viking activity in 800 AD?
• Which word is a loanword borrowed into English from French?
• Spelling reform refers to attempts to modify spellings to reflect pronunciations.
• What is a collocation and why is it relevant to change?
• Which statement best describes semantic drift?
• What is conversion (zero-derivation) in word formation? Provide an example.
• How did the thou/you pronoun system reflect social relations in Early Modern English?
• The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis posits what about language and thought?
• How do standard English and regional varieties relate?
• Which of the following is a retronym example related to technology?
• Which claim is associated with Kandiah regarding the spread of English?
• Which feature is characteristic of Early Modern English vocabulary?
• Which statement best describes how language reflects identity and power dynamics?
• Lowth's seven rules of grammar are most closely associated with which concept?
• How do prescriptivism and descriptivism differ in language change?
• Explain how loanwords are integrated into English via phonology, semantics and spelling, providing an example for each stage.
• Orthography refers to which aspect of language?
• By 1583 approximately how many people spoke English, leading to new varieties?
• Which sentence illustrates semantic broadening?
• Which term is an acronym?
• Descriptivism holds that all types of language are acceptable - non judgemental.
• In what year did Webster publish an American English dictionary?
• Rhoticity matters for language change because?
• Which statement reflects prescriptive attitudes toward pronunciation?
• Which sentence demonstrates the use of singular they?
• Which of the following are examples of vocabulary borrowed from science and technology now common in everyday English?
• In Crystal's tide metaphor, language changes are described as:
• Which word is a Norse lexical borrowing into English?
• Name two word-formation processes in English and provide an example of each.
• Which model explains language change as starting slowly and then accelerating as it becomes more widely adopted?
• Borrowing refers to taking words from other languages.
• In Haugen's Four Stage Process, which stage corresponds to the choice of a language variety for specific purposes?
• Which statement distinguishes archaism from obsolescence?
• Damp spoon syndrome in Aitchison's framework refers to language change attributed to which of the following?
• Which kind of evidence would you collect to support a claim that a word's meaning has changed over time?
• Which statement about language policy can influence gendered language is correct?
• Which is a feature of Early Modern English in terms of standardization and reference works?
• What was the effect on Latin in Britain after the Roman departure in 410 AD?
• Which is an example often cited for the Great Vowel Shift?
• What is lexicalization, and how does it differ from semantic broadening?
• Why is analyzing more than one text important when studying language change?
• What happened in 410 AD in Britain in the historical overview?
• Which word exemplifies a loanword from Hindi or Urdu brought into English through colonial contact?
• Which factor is essential when evaluating evidence for language change?
• Which term describes using a noun as a verb as a common grammatical shift?
• Which text is representative of Early Modern English?
• Which feature is characteristic of British English as described?
• Which model is described as spreading change like ripples from a central source?
• Which term best describes a word borrowed from another language through language contact?
• Which statement about the Circle of World English is true?
• Which example demonstrates semantic bleaching?
• Which figure is traditionally credited with inventing around 2000 words that raised the status of English internationally?
• Outline a concise methodological plan for analyzing a pair of texts from different periods to identify language-change features.
• Which example demonstrates semantic extension?
• What is a retronym? Provide an example.
• Which statement about slang and language change is accurate?