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WorksheetsLG 448 English Varieties Quiz
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 11mins
Which language probably led to the simplification of Old English?
Celtic
Old Norse
Roman
Latin
Which Germanic tribe DID NOT take part in the in the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain?
Angles
Saxons
Vikings
Jutes
Which language is the word 'egg' derived from?
Celtic
Old Norse
Old Frisian
Gaelic
Which alphabet was Old English written in?
Greek
Roman
Cuneiform
Runic
Which of the following is NOT a common type of evidence linguists use to deduce the sound values of Old English letters?
comparative reconstruction
poetic evidence
word order
alphabetical logic
Which grammatical case did Old English NOT have?
genitive
instrumental
dative
accusative
Which word is directly derived from Old English?
priest
sky
house
knife
Which is the oldest literature written in Old English?
The Canterbury Tales
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
During the Early Modern English period, which significant event contributed to standardizing English spelling and grammar?
The Norman Conquest
The invention of the printing press
The Viking invasions
The signing of the Magna Carta
What was one major effect of the Norman Conquest of 1066 on the English language?
It introduced Latin vocabulary into English.
It caused a shift from Old English to Middle English.
It led to the decline of English in favor of German.
It introduced Norse grammar structures into English.
The Great Vowel Shift, which dramatically changed the pronunciation of English, took place during which period?
Old English
Middle English
Early Modern English
Modern English
Which language is the diphthong /ɔɪ/ derived from?
French
Old Norse
Old Frisian
Latin
Which period saw the rediscovery and revitalization of classical learning in Greek and Latin?
The Reformation
The Restoration
The Renaissance
Neoclassicism
Which period saw the establishment of the Church of England?
The Renaissance
The Reformation
The Restoration
The Elizabethan
Which of the following writer did not live in the Elizabethan Period?
William Shakespeare
Samuel Johnson
Edmund Spencer
Christopher Marlowe
Which of the following pronunciation was retained during the Shakespearean era but later dropped in Received Pronunciation (RP)?
yod coalescence
diphthong /əʊ/
glottal stop (ʔ)
final /r/
Which of the following sound was no longer pronounced at the end of the Early Modern English Period?
/r/ in tower
/k/ in knight
/ʍ/ in which
/b/ in climb
Which of the following phonological changes did NOT occur in the Early Modern English Period?
High long vowels became diphthongs.
Mid long vowels moved upward.
Diphthongs became monophthongs.
Low vowels moved upward.
Which of the following grammatical changes did NOT occur in the Early Modern English Period?
the replacement of 'hath' by 'has'
the auxiliary 'do' in question and negative formation
the loss of the ending '-eth' in verbs (e.g. loveth to loves)
the regularization of irregular verbs (e.g. dreamt to dreamed)
Which word is derived from Greek?
bacteria
kangaroo
court
kindergarten
Which of the following dictionaries is considered one of the most influential and comprehensive English dictionaries published in the 18th century?
A Table Alphabeticall by Robert Cawdrey
Oxford English Dictionary by the Oxford University Press
A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson
Webster's Dictionary by Noah Webster
Who invented the theory of generative grammar?
Noam Chomsky
Ferdinand de Saussure
Jacob Grimm
Joseph Greenberg
Which of the following is NOT a feature of classic Received Pronunciation (RP)?
broad /a:/ sound
non-rhotic /r/
yod coalescence
dark /l/
Which of the following is a feature of modern Received Pronunciation?
glottal stop (ʔ)
dark /l/
yod coalescence
the diphthong /oʊ/
Where can people speaking with an Estuary accent likely be found?
Essex
Newcastle
Cornwall
Birmingham
Which of the following is a typical phonological feature of Cockney?
/h/ dropping
light /l/
distinction between /f/ and /θ/
distinction between /v/ and /ð/
Which of the following a common phonological feature of Northern English?
no distinction between /ʊ/ and /ʌ/
the diphthong /oʊ/
the rhotic /r/
the wide /a:/
Which of the following is a typical phonological feature of the West Country?
no distinction between /a/ and /ɑː/
the dark /l/
the rhotic /r/
no distinction between /f/ and /v/
Which accent is notably linked to rhyming slangs?
Received Pronunciation (RP)
Estuary
Cockney
The West Country
Which of the following utterances can be found among British English speakers?
I didn't finish my homework yet.
I left his about two hours ago.
My car is different than yours.
I went to the hospital last night.
Which of the following utterances can typically be found among British English speakers?
I don't dare to say that.
Used he to go to that club?
Didn't you need to see the dentist yesterday?
She does drink coffee in the morning.
Which of the following utterances can typically be found among old British English speakers?
If I were a millionaire, I would buy a house in Malibu.
If I had arrived at the party late, I would not have met Laura.
If you finish your homework, I can take you to Paragon.
If I were rich, I should enjoy travelling abroad
Which of the following utterances can typically be found among British English speakers?
I have no money whatsoever to fix my car.
Do you have to say something rude like that?
Mary does have some health problems.
We haven't any milk left in the fridge.
Which of the following can only be found among Northern English speakers?
John gave it me.
John gave me it.
John gave it to me.
John gave to me it.
Which construction is preferred in English English?
hypothetical sentences using subject-verb inversion
past tense instead of present perfect where possible
double negative
the use of 'need' as a lexical verb
Which word can typically be found among English English speakers?
jello
nought
popsicle
cookie
Which of the following word is spelled in English English?
specialise
labor
burned
meter
Which word is spelled in English English?
liter
wagon
travelled
acknowledgment
Which of the following sentences shows the typical use of punctuation in English English?
"No one can let me down," said Cathy.
Lucy said to herself, 'there is nothing I have to fear'.
Laura has never felt this good in her life: She won a scholarship to study in Scotland.
Maria has been to many countries including Italy, Austria, Latvia, and Norway.
Which of the following countries is NOT part of the United Kingdom?
Wales
Scotland
The Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland
Which of the following languages is not derived from West Germanic?
English
Dutch
Frisian
Welsh
Which of the following languages is not derived from Celtic?
Scottish Gaelic
Manx
Cornish
Flemish
Which of the following vowel characteristics is typical to Welsh English
/o:/ instead of /ou/
/ɪə/ instead of /ɪər/
/ɑ:/ instead of /æ/
no contrast between /ʌ/ and /ə/
Which of the following English varieties has the least vowel phonemes?
Standard English
Irish English
Scottish English
Welsh English
Which English variety uses adjective reduplication for emphasis as in "She is nice, nice"?
Welsh English
Scottish English
Northern English
Irish English
Which of the following English varieties has a clear /l/ in all positions
Cockney
Scottish English
Welsh English
Northern English
Which of the following pairs CANNOT be said to be different languages?
Irish English - Irish Gaelic
Scottish English - Scottish Gaelic
Welsh - Welsh English
Scots - Scottish English
Which of the following phonological feature is typical to Scottish English?
unaspirated initial /p/, /t/, and /k/
strongly aspirated voiceless stops in word-final positions
clear /l/ in all positions
non-rhotic /r/
Who probably says "I'm after seeing her" instead of "I have just seen her"?
a British
a Scottish
a Welsh
a Northern Irish
Which pair of English varieties resembles the most?
Northern Irish English - Scottish English
Southern Irish English - Scottish English
Welsh English - Northern English
Southern English - Scottish English
