Exploring the English language

Introduction

In this unit you will consider key developments in the English language from the end of the fifteenth century to the nineteenth century. You will study how the social and political changes of this period affected the English language as well as the development of new tools and ways of thinking about language.

Firstly, however, some useful ‘tools of the trade’ – you'll take a look at some vital foundations of English grammar.

This material is from our archive and is an adapted extract from Exploring the English language (U211) which is no longer taught by The Open University. If you want to study formally with us, you may wish to explore other courses we offer in this subject area [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .