Which is the most direct evidence that a current language change is underway?

• A. A single high-profile author using a new form.
• B. A historical change observed after many years.
• C. A change observed only in one dialect with no broader use.
• D. Increasing frequency of a form in corpora.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that evidence for a current language change comes from real-time usage data showing that speakers are increasingly adopting a form. A rising frequency of the form in corpora is the clearest signal that the change is spreading across the language community, across genres and regions, and across speakers of different ages. It shows an active shift happening now, not just a one-off occurrence or a past event. In contrast, a single high-profile author using the form suggests influence but not broad adoption; historical changes observed after many years reveal what happened in the past rather than what’s happening now; and a change seen in only one dialect with no wider uptake may reflect locality or idiosyncrasy rather than a language-wide process.