Chaucer and the Birth of English Literature

Who is considered to have written the first great works of English literature?

• John Wycliffe

• Layamon

• Geoffrey Chaucer

• William Langland

Which work is usually considered the first demonstration of the artistic legitimacy of vernacular Middle English?

• Canterbury Tales

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Piers Plowman

• The Owl and the Nightingale

How many French loanwords occur in the 858 lines of the Prologue to the 'Canterbury Tales'?

• Around 200

• Less than 100

• Almost 500

• More than 1000

Who produced the translation of 'The Bible' in vernacular English in 1384?

• William Langland

• John Wycliffe

• Layamon

• Geoffrey Chaucer

How many English words were first recorded in Wycliffe's translation of 'The Bible'?

• More than 1500

• Less than 500

• Around 750

• Over 1000

Which of the following words was NOT first recorded in Wycliffe's translation of 'The Bible'?

• communication

• desire

• birthday

• cradle

What was considered a revolutionary act of daring at the time?

• Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'

• Wycliffe's translation of 'The Bible'

• Layamon's 'Brut'

• Langland's 'Piers Plowman'

Which author introduced many new words into the English language?

• William Langland

• Geoffrey Chaucer

• John Wycliffe

• Layamon

Who wrote the debate poem 'The Owl and the Nightingale'?