Question

Write a short note on Modern English.

Answer 1

Ans. The English from the 15th century till now is called Modern English. English has established itself in the world as an international link language and a powerhouse of literary activity. In India too, we are greatly dependent on English for official, social and commercial purposes. The development of Modern English was largely helped by the introduction of printing technology in 1476. The English realize that their vocabulary lack the words to express new ideas and techniques. This led to borrowing from different languages. English absorbed words from almost fifty different languages. The development of grammar was taking place in ways which did not affect the basic structure of the language. Therefore readers can read and interpret texts of this period without much difficulty.

The 18th century grammarian had three objectives. First to codify the rules of English sentence structure, second to discuss points and decide cases of divided usage and finally to prescribe rules for correct usage. The 18th century grammarians shared the spirit of the Age to establish order in language. After the 18th century, the English language started leaving the shores of England. It travelled to almost all parts of the world and was soon to become a world language.