About this Study Set
This study set covers Linguistics through
20 practice questions.
A series of factual questions regarding the history, standards, and components of the English language. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 20 questions from the
Grammar and Vocabulary History study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
In which year was the first volume of the Oxford English Dictionary officially published?
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A
1884
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B
1901
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C
1928
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D
1950
2
How many letters are in the standard modern English alphabet?
3
The first English dictionary published by Samuel Johnson in 1755 contained approximately how many words?
-
A
10,000
-
B
25,000
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C
40,000
-
D
100,000
4
How many parts of speech are traditionally recognized in English grammar?
5
William Shakespeare is credited with introducing approximately how many new words into the English vocabulary?
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A
500
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B
1,700
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C
3,500
-
D
5,000
6
What is the total number of primary vowels in the English alphabet?
7
The oldest known English epic poem, Beowulf, is estimated to have been composed between which centuries?
-
A
4th and 6th
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B
7th and 10th
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C
11th and 13th
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D
14th and 16th
8
How many distinct syllables are in the word 'encyclopedia'?
9
The Great Vowel Shift, a major change in English pronunciation, occurred primarily between which years?
-
A
1100-1300
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B
1400-1700
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C
1750-1850
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D
1900-1950
10
How many 't's are in the word 'staccato'?
11
Noah Webster published his first American dictionary in which year?
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A
1776
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B
1806
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C
1828
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D
1850
12
A 'century' of years refers to a period of how many years?
13
How many main types of punctuation marks are most commonly used in standard English sentences?
14
The term 'prefix' refers to a word part added to the beginning of a word; how many letters are in the word 'prefix'?
15
In the sentence structure 'Subject-Verb-Object', how many primary components are listed?
16
How many letters are in the word 'grammar'?
17
Old English (Anglo-Saxon) is typically classified as ending in what year following the Norman Conquest?
-
A
1066
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B
1100
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C
1250
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D
1300
18
A 'dodecahedron' has 12 faces; the prefix 'dodeca-' originates from Greek meaning what number?
19
The first complete printed English Bible (the Coverdale Bible) was published in what year?
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A
1525
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B
1535
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C
1611
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D
1700
20
How many words are in the phrase 'the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'?
