Where has English been for the past 1,500 years, who has been using it, what habits has it acquired, and why does it refuse to stand still?
For answers to these questions (or at least some good clues), take a look at our timelines of Old English, Middle English, and Modern English: Key Events in the History of the English Language. Then give yourself two minutes to complete this multiple-choice quiz. . . .
An expanded version of this post is now available at A Quick Quiz on the History of the English Language.
Comments
Loved it!
May I also recommend that no one be sold a keyboard and a connection to the Internet who has not passed a high-school level grammar, spelling and punctuation proficiency test?
This would be a (note caps) Good Thing.
Well, the Romans conquered England and brought their language and grammar rules over for 400 years, then the Germans for 500 years, then the Norman Frnch for 350 years, then the Vikings for 100 years, so it’s hardly any wonder that English is one of the stupidest languages ever. It’s not just one language! With Greek and Celtic and all the other old messes involved it’s at least 6 or 7 languages! I pity the ESL speakers. They can’t get a straight answer even from the so-called experts. LOL! LOOL! LOLOLOL!