Attitudes to Language Change · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Testing complaints about language

English · Vocabulary · ages 17-18
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What is the first step when someone says a usage is wrong?

    • Count how many people agree
    • Restate it as a claim you can test
    • Ask an expert for a final ruling

  2. Complaints that English is falling apart usually track what?

    • Who holds power
    • How many new words appear
    • How fast people speak

  3. Attitudes toward a usage can never change once they form.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Counts show all ages hedge the same, yet only young staff get blamed. What follows?

    • The complaint judges the speakers, not the speech
    • Hedging is always a mistake
    • Young staff should speak less

  5. Complaint: nobody used the phrase before 2010. What evidence tests it?

    • A poll on whether people like the phrase
    • A list of famous people who avoid it
    • Older recordings and texts that use it

  6. Calling one variety correct and another broken is always neutral.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Two towns blame each other's greetings, each citing a few rude cases. What should you do?

    • Side with the bigger town
    • Ban both greetings
    • Collect wider samples from both towns and compare

  8. A columnist proves decline using three slangy teen texts. What is the flaw?

    • Slang breaks the law
    • Teens never use slang
    • Cherry picked examples can prove anything
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Testing complaints about language W1-mt_IJ9Tv9T3Ua-s1

  1. Restate it as a claim you can test · A complaint becomes workable only once it names something checkable.
  2. Who holds power · Forms tied to powerful groups get called correct, and the rest get called broken.
  3. False · Attitudes shift with contact, persuasion, and fresh evidence.
  4. The complaint judges the speakers, not the speech · When the evidence is even but the blame is not, power is doing the work.
  5. Older recordings and texts that use it · A claim about history needs dated examples, not opinions.
  6. False · Those labels usually follow power, not logic or clarity.
  7. Collect wider samples from both towns and compare · Honest verdicts weigh both sides instead of repeating one-sided picks.
  8. Cherry picked examples can prove anything · Picked examples steer readers before any real test happens.
Worksheet · LightMySky