History of English and Review

What were the native people of Great Britain called?

• The Celts
• The Boston Celtics 
• The Normans
• The Romans

What writing system did the Celts use?

• Trick question! They did not have a writing system.
• They wrote in Runes.
• They wrote in Old English.
• They wrote in Middle English.

Who invaded the Celts from the south?

• The Vikings, and this is why English has some Latin mixed into it.
• The Romans, and this is why English has some Latin (and Greek) word roots.
• Trick question! The Celts actually invaded Normandy and Scandinavia, spreading English to them.
• The Anglo-Saxons, who made everyone learn to read and write Anglo-Saxon.

Consider this statement:  The native people of Great Britain were traders, who traveled all over the globe. Some of them went as far south as Italy. When they came back, they brought goods and the language spoken by Italians back then. That language was Latin.

• This is true.
• This is false.

Consider this statement:  Great Britain was invaded by several people, including the Romans. The Romans made Latin the official language of Great Britain, and because of this, Latin vocabulary and Latin roots have become part of the English language. 

• This is true.
• This is false.

Why are we learning Greek and Latin word roots in ELA8?

• Memorizing anything is good for your brain.
• Memorizing things is fun. It doesn’t matter what we’re memorizing.
• Memorizing roots helps us guess at the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Memorizing roots helps us build good study habits. 

Which of the following is the best description of Beowulf?

• It is a collection of short stories written in Celtic runes.
• It is a book-length epic poem written in Old English.
• It is a religious text, significant because it’s in Middle English.
• It is an expression of grief at the death of a hero in Modern English.

Which of the following is the best description of why Shakespeare is important to English?

• He wrote both comedies (like Twelfth Night) and tragedies (like Macbeth and Hamlet).
• He wrote the first dictionary, defining many words that we still use (like “eyeball”).
• He convinced all schools in England to teach his work; that’s why we still study them today.  
• He invented or was the first to write down many words that we still use (like “eyeball”).

What language is Twelfth Night written in?

• Old English

• Middle English

• Modern Engish

What's it called when the character is thinking out loud, and we are listening in on their thoughts.

• Dramatic irony
• Soliloquy
• Oxymoron
• Second person point of view