Early Modern English

KEYTERMS

1. A set of key terms useful for the study of early modern English.

HOW DO YOU "DO"?

2. A lesson with exercises on the verb "to do."

THE GREAT VOWEL SHIFT

3. The Great Vowel Shift is one of the most important sound changes in the history of the English language. The multi-media review on these pages will help you learn it.

MINOR VOWELS

4. Download this PDF with information and exercises on some of the minor vowel changes after the Middle English period. Print it out, complete the short exercises, and take it to your next section.

THR-OUGH THE AGES

5. This exercise is optional and for general interest. These lessons will help you learn the complex development of the different pronunciations of the "-ough" ending.

RHYMING PAIRS

6. This PDF exercise asks you to explore some of Jonathan Swift's 18th-century rhyme words. (Begin midway down the first page, at 7.9, "Pronunciation and Rime".)

PRONOUN VARIATION

7. Download this PDF exercise on pronoun variation. The document presents quite a few passages from various genres, including transcripts of court proceedings and dramatic scenes from plays. Read them through, taking note of how the various pronouns are used. Bring notes about what you notice to your next section.

HIS-GENITIVE

8. Why do we call Chaucer's tale the "Wife-of-Bath's Tale" instead of the "Wife's Tale of Bath"? This lesson will help you learn about the difficulties the old genitive constructions could create.

TRANSCRIPTION

9. Download and print this PDF of the Tower of Babel story from the King James Bible. Complete the exercises on the second page, and take them to your next section.

Remember reading this passage in Old and Middle English? See all four versions here.

EARLY MODERN MUSIC

10. Listen to a recording of an early modern song in period pronunciation. You can read along with the lyrics in the player, and print out a facsimile of an early published version of the lyrics.