Understanding Standard English: Definition & Usage
What is Standard English?
In his entry for “Standard English” in The Oxford Companion to the English Language (1992), Tom McArthur notes that this “widely used term . . . resists easy definition but is used as if most educated people nonetheless know precisely what it refers to.”
For some, Standard English (SE) is a synonym for good or correct English usage. Others use the term to refer to a specific geographical dialect of English, or a dialect favored by the most powerful and prestigious social
Read MorePast Exam Questions: Practice for Success
2010
Option A
Political Polls: Many people are closely following the political polls during the final.
What would you propose to improve society if you were an influential politician?
Option B
Should Everest be closed? Everest has been described as the highest junkyard in the world.
Write about a trip you are organizing with a group of friends to spend a few days in the mountains. Give details of the programme of activities and what everybody should take for the excursion.
2011
Option A
Greening the Sahara:
Read MoreMiddle English: Grammar, Orthography, and Sociolinguistic Context
Middle English Linguistic Characteristics
Grammar: Middle English (ME) transitioned from a synthetic to an analytic grammar, resulting in the loss of inflections. Word order became more fixed, and prepositions gained importance.
Orthography: French spelling conventions influenced ME orthography, leading to greater variation due to the absence of a standardized system.
Lexis: The ME vocabulary expanded significantly with the introduction of thousands of French words, approximately 70% of which were
Read MoreJournalistic Subgenres: Information, Opinion, Hybrids
Journalistic Subgenres
There are three primary journalistic subgenres, categorized by their predominant role:
- Information Subgenres: Primarily focused on transmitting information and generating reports.
- Opinion Subgenres: Primarily focused on expressing opinions.
- Hybrid Subgenres: Combine elements of both information and opinion.
Information Subgenres
The News: A news article reports on a recent event of interest. It is the cornerstone of news reporting and a fundamental genre of journalism. Key characteristics
Read MoreLinguistic Diversity and Literary Evolution in Spain
Linguistic Diversity in Spain
In addition to Castilian, Spain also speaks other languages such as Valencian, Catalan, Galician, and Euskera, which come from Latin.
Spanish in the World
Spanish is spoken by 400 million people. It is the fourth most spoken language in the world and is spoken in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.
Neologisms
Foreign words, abbreviations, antonyms, forming new members to contribute and enrich it without difficulty.
Spanish in America
Spanish varieties in America affect pronunciation
Read MoreSpanish Romanticism and Realism: Authors and Works
Emergence of New Themes in Romanticism
Key themes: Pessimism, love in extreme situations, interest in exotic and faraway places, glorification of the past, reflection of human feelings, and descriptions of landscapes.
Romantic Features
- Mixture of prose and verse.
- Combination of genres; drama breaks the rules of Neoclassical prose.
- Historicist.
- Costumbrismo: Depiction of everyday life scenes.
Larra (1809-1837)
Born in Madrid in 1809. He wrote a historical novel and a tragedy but is best known for his journalism.
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