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WalesEnglish LanguageQuick questions
Unit 3: Language over Time (A2)
Quick questions on Language change over time: lexis, grammar, orthography and theory - WJEC A-Level English Language Unit 3
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is grammar?Show answer
Grammar changes more slowly but visibly. Earlier English used more inflection (word endings now lost), different word order, archaic pronouns and verb forms ("thou hast", "-eth" endings), and constructions once standard that are now non-standard, such as the double negative. When you compare grammar across texts, identify what has been simplified or regularised and what has remained stable.
What is model paragraph?Show answer
The two texts show clear diachronic change once they are compared level by level. At the level of orthography, the earlier text uses variable spelling and the capitalisation of common nouns, conventions of print before Johnson's dictionary helped fix forms, whereas the modern text is standardised, so the contrast is evidence of standardisation rather than carelessness. Lexically, the earlier text contains words now archaic or obsolete and uses others in older senses, and a comparison reveals semantic change: a term that carried a neutral or positive meaning then has narrowed or pejorated since, which shows meaning shifting with usage.
What is q1?Show answer
What is the difference between diachronic and synchronic study? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Define semantic narrowing and give an example. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Analyse and compare how language has changed over time, using the texts provided. [20 marks]
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