Language Change & Variation — Practice · Grade 11 English

Chapter: Language, Style & Conventions

What this practice covers

By the end of Language Change & Variation you should be able to:

11 questions, multiple choice and written answer, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: convention, dialect, Standard English, prescriptivism vs. descriptivism.

Problem 1

When linguists say that 'usage is a matter of convention,' they mean that language rules are…
  1. shared agreements among speakers that can change over time
  2. invented by a single official academy that controls English
  3. unimportant and safe to ignore in all writing
  4. fixed laws of nature that never change
Answer and explanation

shared agreements among speakers that can change over time

A convention is an agreed-upon norm among speakers, not a natural law — which is why usage shifts over time. English has no official academy, and conventions still matter greatly for real audiences.

Problem 2

Explain why linguists say a dialect is not simply 'incorrect' or 'broken' Standard English.
Answer and explanation

A dialect is a rule-governed variety with its own consistent grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation — its patterns are systematic, not random mistakes. It differs from Standard English but follows its own internal rules just as reliably, so it is a different variety, not a broken version of one. Standard English is dominant because of social prestige and agreement, not because it is linguistically superior.

Problem 3

Which pair best illustrates that a word's meaning can change over time (semantic change)?
  1. 'run' and 'ran,' a change in verb tense
  2. 'awful,' which once meant 'full of awe' but now means 'very bad'
  3. 'cat' and 'cats,' a change from singular to plural
  4. 'happy' and 'unhappy,' opposites formed with a prefix
Answer and explanation

'awful,' which once meant 'full of awe' but now means 'very bad'

'Awful' shifting from 'full of awe / awe-inspiring' to 'very bad' is a change in a word's meaning over time — semantic change. Tense, pluralization, and prefixing are changes to a word's form, not shifts in what a word means.

Problem 4

Define prescriptivism and descriptivism, and give one example of how each would treat the 'rule' against splitting an infinitive (as in 'to boldly go').
Answer and explanation

Prescriptivism prescribes how language should be used, so a prescriptivist would call 'to boldly go' an error and insist on 'to go boldly.' Descriptivism describes how language is actually used, so a descriptivist would note that fluent speakers and writers split infinitives all the time, that the sentence is perfectly clear, and that the rule was borrowed from Latin and never truly fit English. One judges; the other observes.

Problem 5

A student speaks one way with friends at home and writes in Standard English for a college application. Which statement best describes what she is doing and why?
  1. She is wasting effort, because register and variety have no real effect on how readers respond.
  2. She is correcting her 'bad' home dialect into 'proper' English, which is naturally superior.
  3. She is code-switching — shifting between rule-governed varieties to fit each audience and purpose — because Standard English is the variety her application audience expects, not because her home variety is inferior.
  4. She is being dishonest, since only one of the two ways of speaking can be her real voice.
Answer and explanation

She is code-switching — shifting between rule-governed varieties to fit each audience and purpose — because Standard English is the variety her application audience expects, not because her home variety is inferior.

She is code-switching: choosing the variety that fits each audience and purpose. Standard English is expected by an admissions audience and carries social prestige, which is a real practical reason to command it — but that prestige comes from social agreement, not from her home variety being 'inferior' or less real.

Problem 6

Explain semantic change and a verification step. Give a detail and explain its relevance.
Answer and explanation

The contexts show different applications of the same word. A historical dictionary can establish the documented relationship and dates; the passages alone do not prove a complete origin story.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 7

A learner writes: “A regional expression is broken English.” Explain the problem and produce a better response.
Answer and explanation

Identify the variety and its context. Evaluate suitability for a task without equating a dialect with lack of intelligence or meaning.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 8

Compare what you must inspect in these two cases. What can transfer, and what must be checked again?
Answer and explanation

Language changes across time, communities, and settings. A word can acquire new meanings, and a construction can be conventional in one variety while uncommon in another. The method transfers, but the particular detail, scope, and context must be read again. The contexts show different applications of the same word. A historical dictionary can establish the documented relationship and dates; the passages alone do not prove a complete origin story.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 9

Using an assigned reading or one exercise source, write a developed response applying language change & variation. Aim for 260–380 words; name the reading or reproduce the sentence you revise.
Answer and explanation

The character adjusts a regional expression to a formal register. Both convey preparation, but the context changes the choice. The shift may show audience awareness or institutional expectations. A complete response supplies context, a focused claim, a brief supporting detail, explanation, and a relevant qualification. Do not simply repeat this model.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 10

Write two specific feedback comments on a response to this unit: one on accuracy or meaning and one on evidence or language. Then state a revision priority.
Answer and explanation

Check whether the response explains language changes across time, communities, and settings. a word can acquire new meanings, and a construction can be conventional in one variety while uncommon in another. Ask for a relevant detail and the reason it supports the conclusion. Prioritize the mistaken assumption shown here: “A regional expression is broken English.”

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 11

Choose a fresh sentence or detail from the assigned selection. Explain how this unit’s method applies, and identify one uncertainty or limitation.
Answer and explanation

Lena discovers that naming a worker without naming her choices can still reduce her to a decorative role. The program, archive records, and evidence panel connect public identity with institutional power. The visitors who do not read the panel complicate any claim that the omission has been completely repaired. The response must supply its own precise detail and explain it; copying the model without fresh evidence is insufficient.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

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