What is a typical focus for a Language Change exam task comparing texts from different periods?

• A. Focus solely on spelling differences
• B. Memorize dates of changes
• C. Compare texts from different periods focusing on lexicon, semantics, and grammar, and evaluate causes and evidence of change
• D. Analyze author biography

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that language change tasks test your ability to compare texts from different periods across multiple linguistic levels and to explain why those changes occurred, with evidence drawn from the texts. So the best approach is to look at how the vocabulary (what words are used and what they mean), semantics (shifts in meaning), and grammar (sentence structure, verb forms, pronouns) differ between periods, and then discuss possible causes (sound changes, borrowing, social influence, education, technology) and the evidence that supports those changes within the texts.

Focusing only on spelling differences misses the broader linguistic shifts. Memorizing dates doesn’t involve analysis of language use. Analyzing author biography isn’t central to how language itself changes across periods.