AULA VIRTUAL DE INGLÉS I.E.S.

“DUQUE DE RIVAS”
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EXTRA 1.- The history of English. Reading

Map from: http://www.ksc.kwansei.ac.jp

Read the information at:

http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/english-language-history.html

http://www.krysstal.com/english.html

Extra 1.- The history of English. Exercises:

I) Say if these sentences are True or False:

1- English is a Germanic language.

2- Frisian is a language spoken by German people.

3- Britain was part of the Roman Empire for over 400 years.

4- The word “Thames” has a Celtic origin.

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Extra 1.- The history of English 3 ESO
 AULA VIRTUAL DE INGLÉS I.E.S. “DUQUE DE RIVAS”
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5- Old English was written in an alphabet called Runic.

6- The introduction of Christianity took place when the Vikings invaded the

country.

7- Most words from Greek and Latin entered during the Middle English period.

8- The word “sheep” has a French origin.

9- Shakespeare was the most important writer of the English Renaissance.

10- New words had to be invented during the Industrial Revolution.

II) Now answer the questions below in full sentences:

1- How long did the Old English period last?

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2- Who were the original inhabitants of England?

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3- What language did they speak?

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4- When did the Romans invade the British Isles?

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5- What Germanic tribes arrived in Britain?

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6- Where did they come from?

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7- What Germanic dialects formed Old English?

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8- What happened with the Celtic speaking inhabitants?

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9- What was the name of the Vikings´ language?

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Extra 1.- The history of English 3 ESO
 AULA VIRTUAL DE INGLÉS I.E.S. “DUQUE DE RIVAS”
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10- Who wrote “Beowulf”?

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11- When did William the Conqueror invade England?

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12- What was the language of the upper class at that time?

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13- What is the Great Vowel Shift ?

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14- What is “The Canterbury Tales” about?

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15- Who was the first English speaking king since the Norman conquest?

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16- Where was the printing press invented?

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17- Why was “the age of Shakespeare” important in English cultural history?

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18- Who was the most important monarch of the English Renaissance?

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19- In what way did the Industrial Revolution affect the development of the

language?

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20- How long was Britain an empire?

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21- What were some of the countries belonging to the British Empire?

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Extra 1.- The history of English 3 ESO
 AULA VIRTUAL DE INGLÉS I.E.S. “DUQUE DE RIVAS”
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22- What are the three main periods of the English language?

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23- What is distinctly Germanic in the English grammar?

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For more information about the history of English, visit:

http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/kids/

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Extra 1.- The history of English 3 ESO
 AULA VIRTUAL DE INGLÉS I.E.S. “DUQUE DE RIVAS”
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EXTRA 1.- The History of English

Exercises: Answer key

I)

1- True.

2- False.

3- True.

4- True.

5- True.

6- False.

7- False.

8- False.

9- True.

10- True.

II)

1- The Old English period lasted 650 years.

2- The original inhabitants of England were the Celts.

3- They spoke Celtic.

4- The Romans invaded the British Isles in 54-5 BC.

5- The Saxons, the Angles and the Jutes arrived in Britain

6- They came from various parts of northwest Germany as well as Denmark.

7- Northumbrian, Mercian, West Saxon and Kentish formed Old English.

8- The Celtic speaking inhabitants were pushed out into Scotland, Wales and

Cornwall.

9- The name of the Vikings´ language was Old Norse.

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Extra 1.- The history of English 3 ESO
 AULA VIRTUAL DE INGLÉS I.E.S. “DUQUE DE RIVAS”
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10- An unknown poet wrote “Beowulf”.

11- William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066 AD.

12- The language of the upper class at that time was French.

13- The Great Vowel Shift is a massive sound change affecting the long vowels

of English.

14- “The Canterbury Tales” is about a group of thirty people who travel as

pilgrims to Canterbury.

15- The first English speaking king since the Norman conquest was King Henry

IV.

16- The printing press was invented in Germany.

17- “The age of Shakespeare” was important in English cultural history because

there was an explosion of culture in the form of support of the arts,

popularization of the printing press and massive amounts of sea travels.

18- The most important monarch of the English Renaissance was Queen

Elisabeth I.

19- The Industrial Revolution affected the development of the language as new

words had to be invented or existing ones modified as a result of the rapid

changes in technology.

20- Britain was an empire for 200 years.

21- Some of the countries belonging to the British Empire were USA, Australia,

New Zealand and India.

22- The three main periods of the English language are Old English, Middle

English and Modern English.

23- The three genders (he, she and it) and a simple set of verb tenses are

distinctly Germanic in the English grammar.

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Extra 1.- The history of English 3 ESO