As part of the Modern and Contemporary English course I have started at the University of Sussex a fun quiz was put together for us all to try and answer. The twenty questions are varied but pretty taxing. I managed to score 7/20, which I thought was pretty decent.

I shall therefore share this quiz with my FT friends and see how good you lot are. I am sure there will be one person who nails the lot.

I shall provide the answers by Sunday evening and a little results table for anyone who wants to have a go.

Good luck


1. During which period did it become customary to pronounce words like dance and bath with a long a: vowel?

a.15th century
b.16th century
c.17th century
d.18th century

2. Which of the following is an Anglo-Saxon historical account of 12th century England?

a.The Barnsley Chronicle
b.The Peterborough Chronicle
c.The Lincoln Chronicle
d.The Tewkesbury Chronicle

3. Which was the first book to be printed in English?

a.The Bible
b.The Canterbury Tales
c.Beowulf
d.The Domesday Book

4. In etymological terms, which of these pairs is the odd one out?

a.skirt ~ shirt
b.whole ~ hale
c.stick ~ stitch
d.duck ~ duke

5. Which of the following illustrates a lexical fossil?

a.out of sight
b.out of money
c.out of kilter
d.out of luck

6. Which language is spoken in the Gaeltacht?

a.Yiddish
b.Irish
c.Vries
d.Flemish

7. Which of the following words would NOT have been directly affected by the Great Vowel Shift in English?

a.hill
b.house
c.life
d.law

8. How many English verbs have irregular past tenses?

a.about 50
b.about 100
c.about 200
d.about 250

9. Who was the first king after the Norman conquest who spoke English as a mother tongue?

a.Henry I
b.Henry II
c.Henry III
d.Henry IV

10. Which of the following illustrates a lexical gap?

a.inelegant
b.illogical
c.uncouth
d.discontented

11. Which of the following had the least influence on the English spoken in Kent?

a.the Vikings
b.the Saxons
c.the Jutes
d.the Angles

12. Which of the following is NOT a loan from Norse?

a.skull
b.husband
c.bridge
d.sky

13. Approximately how many modern English words were taken from Norman French shortly after 1066?

a.1000
b.5000
c.10,000
d.15,000

14. Etymologically speaking, which of these words is the odd one out?

a.Volkswagen
b.Kindergarten
c.Hinterland
d.Mafia

15. Which of the following is basically a Roman place name?

a.Edinburgh
b.Newcastle
c.Hull
d.Lancaster

16. What language do the romance languages derive from?

a.Italian
b.Greek
c.Latin
d.Uralic

17. How many current English words are reputed to have been coined by Shakespeare?

a.about 50
b.about 500
c.about 1000
d.about 2000

18. Which of the following phrases was NOT coined by Shakespeare?

a."a tower of strength"
b."more in sorrow than in anger"
c."a bird in the hand"
d."vanish into thin air"

19. Who formalised the major differences between English and American spelling?

a.Samuel Johnson
b.Noah Webster
c.George Bernard Shaw
d.Isaac Pitman

20. In what year was English used in Parliament for the first time?

a.1150
b.1258
c.1362
d.1437

GOOD LUCK FOLKS...REMEMBER I SCORED 35%....I AM SURE THAT CAN BE BEAT!!

Not by me~!

Me neither I'd find the answers interesting but as for me doing the quiz it would all be guess work!

Try being in my shoes, one walks in and is given this test in lecture ONE!
No prep work, no study, no nothing....just do it lol...

c'mon have a go.....you may well guess most of them...after all most my seven were flukes!!

Okay, I'll have a go. Don't blame me if I get them all wrong!

6. Irish
14. Mafia
16. Latin

Not a clue about the rest of them (not even sure I had a clue about the ones I did answer! )

all guesses but here we go!

1. During which period did it become customary to pronounce words like dance and bath with a long a: vowel?

d.18th century

2. Which of the following is an Anglo-Saxon historical account of 12th century England?

a.The Barnsley Chronicle

3. Which was the first book to be printed in English?

a.The Bible

4. In etymological terms, which of these pairs is the odd one out?


b.whole ~ hale


5. Which of the following illustrates a lexical fossil?


c.out of kilter


6. Which language is spoken in the Gaeltacht?


d.Flemish

7. Which of the following words would NOT have been directly affected by the Great Vowel Shift in English?


d.law

8. How many English verbs have irregular past tenses?


b.about 100

9. Who was the first king after the Norman conquest who spoke English as a mother tongue?


c.Henry III


10. Which of the following illustrates a lexical gap?

a.inelegant

11. Which of the following had the least influence on the English spoken in Kent?


c.the Jutes


12. Which of the following is NOT a loan from Norse?


d.sky

13. Approximately how many modern English words were taken from Norman French shortly after 1066?


b.5000

14. Etymologically speaking, which of these words is the odd one out?


d.Mafia

15. Which of the following is basically a Roman place name?


c.Hull


16. What language do the romance languages derive from?


b.Greek



17. How many current English words are reputed to have been coined by Shakespeare?


b.about 500


18. Which of the following phrases was NOT coined by Shakespeare?

a."a tower of strength"

19. Who formalised the major differences between English and American spelling?

a.Samuel Johnson

20. In what year was English used in Parliament for the first time?


b.1258

With question 1, in the North of England they still have short vowels.

Yes, I think it means when did they change so that some people used long vowels and some short. I think in the beginning all vowels were short. I may be wrong...

Ren's theory is correct

Quote:

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Ren's theory is correct

---

May I have that framed? Thankyou!!

1. During which period did it become customary to pronounce words like dance and bath with a long a: vowel?


b.16th century

2. Which of the following is an Anglo-Saxon historical account of 12th century England?

a.The Barnsley Chronicle


3. Which was the first book to be printed in English?


d.The Domesday Book

4. In etymological terms, which of these pairs is the odd one out?


b.whole ~ hale


5. Which of the following illustrates a lexical fossil?

a.out of sight


6. Which language is spoken in the Gaeltacht?


b.Irish

7. Which of the following words would NOT have been directly affected by the Great Vowel Shift in English?


b.house



8. How many English verbs have irregular past tenses?

d.about 250

9. Who was the first king after the Norman conquest who spoke English as a mother tongue?

a.Henry I


10. Which of the following illustrates a lexical gap?


b.illogical

11. Which of the following had the least influence on the English spoken in Kent?

a.the Vikings


12. Which of the following is NOT a loan from Norse?



c.bridge


13. Approximately how many modern English words were taken from Norman French shortly after 1066?


c.10,000

14. Etymologically speaking, which of these words is the odd one out?


d.Mafia

15. Which of the following is basically a Roman place name?


b.Newcastle


16. What language do the romance languages derive from?


c.Latin


17. How many current English words are reputed to have been coined by Shakespeare?


b.about 500


18. Which of the following phrases was NOT coined by Shakespeare?



c."a bird in the hand"


19. Who formalised the major differences between English and American spelling?

a.Samuel Johnson


20. In what year was English used in Parliament for the first time?


b.1258

GOOD LUCK FOLKS...REMEMBER I SCORED 35%....I AM SURE THAT CAN BE BEAT!!

Here are my guesses doomed, all wild!

Here it goes:

1. 16th century
2. The Tewkesbury Chronicle
3. Domesday Book
4. duck ~ duke
5. out of kilter
6. Irish
7. hill
8. about 100
9. Henry II
10. uncouth
11. the Jutes
12. bridge
13. 5000
14. mafia
15. Edinburgh
16. Latin
17. about 500
18. "a bird in hand"
19. Noah Webster
20. 1362

Many of those were guesses, so I don't think I did well. How many did I get right?

Sunday evening/Monday evening results will be published....however, IF you really want your result I can do it by PM

I will give my guesses but I am "doomed" to failure <groans>:

1. During which period did it become customary to pronounce words like dance and bath with a long vowel?

b.16th century

2. Which of the following is an Anglo-Saxon historical account of 12th century England?

d.The Tewkesbury Chronicle

3. Which was the first book to be printed in English?

c.Beowulf

4. In etymological terms, which of these pairs is the odd one out?

b.whole ~ hale

5. Which of the following illustrates a lexical fossil?

c.out of kilter

6. Which language is spoken in the Gaeltacht?

b.Irish

7. Which of the following words would NOT have been directly affected by the Great Vowel Shift in English?

d.law

8. How many English verbs have irregular past tenses?

c.about 200

9. Who was the first king after the Norman conquest who spoke English as a mother tongue?

d.Henry IV

10. Which of the following illustrates a lexical gap?

a.inelegant

11. Which of the following had the least influence on the English spoken in Kent?

d.the Angles

12. Which of the following is NOT a loan from Norse?

b.husband

13. Approximately how many modern English words were taken from Norman French shortly after 1066?

a.1000

14. Etymologically speaking, which of these words is the odd one out?

d.Mafia

15. Which of the following is basically a Roman place name?

d.Lancaster

16. What language do the romance languages derive from?

c.Latin

17. How many current English words are reputed to have been coined by Shakespeare?

b.about 500

18. Which of the following phrases was NOT coined by Shakespeare?

a."a tower of strength"

19. Who formalised the major differences between English and American spelling?

b.Noah Webster

20. In what year was English used in Parliament for the first time?

c.1362

Wonders if we'll be seeing Matt on University Challenge!

No chance of that Jonno...im a dumb schmucK

So far we have...and some lovely scores...and sorry for those with low scores...still a good shout

Ren 12
Redsoxfan 11
Blinkybill 8
Jonnowales 8
Leau 3
Copago 2

So most beat my 7 ;~0

Anyone else wanna have a shot?

I will place answers up by Tuesday evening...gives 48 hours more....

If the answers have not been posted, does that mean that I am still able to give this a shot?

Here I go, then.

1. During which period did it become customary to pronounce words like dance and bath with a long a: vowel?

c.17th century


2. Which of the following is an Anglo-Saxon historical account of 12th century England?

b.The Peterborough Chronicle

3. Which was the first book to be printed in English?

b.The Canterbury Tales

4. In etymological terms, which of these pairs is the odd one out?

d.duck ~ duke

5. Which of the following illustrates a lexical fossil?

c.out of kilter

6. Which language is spoken in the Gaeltacht?

b.Irish

7. Which of the following words would NOT have been directly affected by the Great Vowel Shift in English?

c.life

8. How many English verbs have irregular past tenses?

b.about 100

9. Who was the first king after the Norman conquest who spoke English as a mother tongue?

a.Henry I

10. Which of the following illustrates a lexical gap?

d.discontented

11. Which of the following had the least influence on the English spoken in Kent?

d.the Angles

12. Which of the following is NOT a loan from Norse?

b.husband

13. Approximately how many modern English words were taken from Norman French shortly after 1066?

c.10,000

14. Etymologically speaking, which of these words is the odd one out?

d.Mafia

15. Which of the following is basically a Roman place name?

c.Hull

16. What language do the romance languages derive from?

c.Latin

17. How many current English words are reputed to have been coined by Shakespeare?

d.about 2000

18. Which of the following phrases was NOT coined by Shakespeare?

c."a bird in the hand"

19. Who formalised the major differences between English and American spelling?

b.Noah Webster

20. In what year was English used in Parliament for the first time?

b.1258


Now I'm curious to see what the correct answers are!

Answers are coming......wanna drag this one out a little longer lol

LMAO TWO??? haha! Oh man, my old english teacher would be so proud ...

Don't be too hard on yourself, Copago. I will admit to looking at Leau's answers *after* submitting my post above - then breathed a sigh of relief when I realised I could have had 3 'gimmes' instead of wracking my brain over them!

Now I'm really curious to know how I went - I could go back and try to match up who scored what with the number of correct answers they got - but that seems like too much hard work!

I'm dying out here! Someone, put me out of my misery - I know I scored at least a 3, but how much don't I know about the English language and it's history? The suspense is killing me.

1. During which period did it become customary to pronounce words like dance and bath with a long a: vowel?

c.17th century


2. Which of the following is an Anglo-Saxon historical account of 12th century England?

a.The Barnsley Chronicle

3. Which was the first book to be printed in English?


b.The Canterbury Tales


4. In etymological terms, which of these pairs is the odd one out?

d.duck ~ duke

5. Which of the following illustrates a lexical fossil?

c.out of kilter


6. Which language is spoken in the Gaeltacht?

d.Flemish

7. Which of the following words would NOT have been directly affected by the Great Vowel Shift in English?

a.hill

8. How many English verbs have irregular past tenses?


c.about 200


9. Who was the first king after the Norman conquest who spoke English as a mother tongue?


c.Henry III


10. Which of the following illustrates a lexical gap?

a.inelegant


11. Which of the following had the least influence on the English spoken in Kent?

c.the Jutes


12. Which of the following is NOT a loan from Norse?


c.bridge


13. Approximately how many modern English words were taken from Norman French shortly after 1066?


b.5000


14. Etymologically speaking, which of these words is the odd one out?


d.Mafia

15. Which of the following is basically a Roman place name?


d.Lancaster

16. What language do the romance languages derive from?

a.Italian


17. How many current English words are reputed to have been coined by Shakespeare?


b.about 500


18. Which of the following phrases was NOT coined by Shakespeare?

a."a tower of strength"

19. Who formalised the major differences between English and American spelling?


b.Noah Webster


20. In what year was English used in Parliament for the first time?


b.1258

Well, I've guessed approximately all of them...I'll be shocked if I get more than 5.

Lol

Ecnalubum with your three gimmies you managed a score of 11

Lioness you nailed 9


May leave it a little bit longer see if anyone else can crack the 20!!!

I am sure someone will

At my Uni only 7 nailed the full house

Thank you, doomed! I went back and checked on Leau's answers after I submitted my 'answers' (less sugar-coat them and call them answers rather than guesses shall we...!), then realised that I could have just checked their answers rather than thinking about the question, realising I had no idea, then guessing!

I scored more than 50%, which surprises me quite frankly - but not 100% ... good thing for my patients my job doesn't rely on my english skills!!!!