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Updated Mar 22, 2026
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Modern English Language Change - A Level Notes
L
Lauren Giles
@laurengiles_rfks
1 / 5
Modern English Takes Shape (1700-1900)
The 18th and 19th centuries were absolutely crucial for shaping modern English. Before this period, English was a bit of a mess - no standard spelling, grammar rules varied wildly, and pronunciation differed massively between regions.
Standardisation became the big goal during this era. Scholars and teachers desperately wanted to create order from the linguistic chaos. They believed English needed strict rules to become a "proper" language that could compete with Latin and French.
The Industrial Revolution brought thousands of new words (called neologisms) as people needed vocabulary for new inventions, processes, and social changes. Meanwhile, the expanding British Empire was spreading English globally whilst also absorbing words from other languages.
Quick Tip: Think of this period as English getting its act together - like going from messy handwriting to neat, readable text that everyone can understand!
The Birth of English Dictionaries
You might think dictionaries have existed forever, but the first English dictionary only appeared in 1604! Robert Cawdrey, a schoolmaster and former clergyman, created this groundbreaking reference book.
Cawdrey wasn't starting from scratch though. He cleverly used existing wordlists from educational texts, particularly Richard Mulcaster's Elementary (1582) and Edmund Coote's English Schoole-maister (1596).
This early dictionary was pretty basic compared to what we use today, but it marked the beginning of organised English vocabulary. Before Cawdrey's work, people just had to guess at spellings and meanings - imagine trying to write essays without any reference books!
Did You Know? Cawdrey's dictionary was aimed at helping ordinary people understand "hard words" - basically the 1600s version of helping students with difficult vocabulary!
The Grammar Craze of the 1700s
The 18th century saw an absolute obsession with "correct" English. Grammar books became incredibly popular as everyone wanted to speak and write "properly."
Scholars, teachers, and what the transcript brilliantly calls "fuddy-duddy old men" believed English desperately needed strict rules. They thought the language was becoming too messy and informal, especially compared to prestigious languages like Latin.
This led to loads of published rule books telling people exactly how to use English. Many of these rules were completely made up by the authors, but they caught on anyway. Some of these invented rules still annoy students today - like never ending sentences with prepositions!
Reality Check: Many "grammar rules" you learn today were actually invented by 18th-century scholars who wanted English to behave more like Latin - even though English works completely differently!
Samuel Johnson's Legendary Dictionary (1755)
Samuel Johnson created what many consider the first truly comprehensive English dictionary in 1755. This wasn't some quick weekend project - it took over eight years to compile, required six helpers, and listed an impressive 40,000 words.
Johnson genuinely believed English was "in a terrible mess" and desperately needed discipline. His dictionary aimed to stabilise the language by providing definitive spellings, meanings, and usage examples for thousands of words.
However, Johnson was smart enough to recognise something crucial: languages naturally change and evolve. Despite wanting to create stability, he admitted that new words, pronunciations, and spellings constantly appear, and you can't really stop linguistic evolution.
Fun Fact: Johnson's dictionary remained the standard English reference for over 150 years - imagine using a textbook from the 1870s today!
Johnson's Snobbery and Word Selection
Johnson had some pretty strong opinions about which words deserved inclusion in his dictionary. Being rather pompous, he decided certain words simply weren't "good enough" for his prestigious reference book.
Words like bang, budge, fuss, gambler, shabby, and touchy got the boot because Johnson considered them too informal or vulgar. This reveals how 18th-century attitudes about "proper" language excluded perfectly useful everyday vocabulary.
Johnson's pickiness shows how dictionary-making involves personal judgement, not just objective recording of language. His choices reflected upper-class preferences rather than how ordinary people actually spoke and wrote.
Think About It: Johnson rejected words like "fuss" and "shabby" that we use constantly today - imagine if modern dictionaries excluded common slang or informal terms you use with friends!
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4.7/5
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Modern English Language Change - A Level Notes
L
Lauren Giles
@laurengiles_rfks
Between 1700-1900, English transformed from a chaotic collection of regional dialects into the standardised language we recognise today. This period saw the first proper dictionaries, strict grammar rules, and massive vocabulary expansion thanks to the Industrial Revolution and British Empire.
Modern English Takes Shape (1700-1900)
The 18th and 19th centuries were absolutely crucial for shaping modern English. Before this period, English was a bit of a mess - no standard spelling, grammar rules varied wildly, and pronunciation differed massively between regions.
Standardisation became the big goal during this era. Scholars and teachers desperately wanted to create order from the linguistic chaos. They believed English needed strict rules to become a "proper" language that could compete with Latin and French.
The Industrial Revolution brought thousands of new words (called neologisms) as people needed vocabulary for new inventions, processes, and social changes. Meanwhile, the expanding British Empire was spreading English globally whilst also absorbing words from other languages.
Quick Tip: Think of this period as English getting its act together - like going from messy handwriting to neat, readable text that everyone can understand!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
The Birth of English Dictionaries
You might think dictionaries have existed forever, but the first English dictionary only appeared in 1604! Robert Cawdrey, a schoolmaster and former clergyman, created this groundbreaking reference book.
Cawdrey wasn't starting from scratch though. He cleverly used existing wordlists from educational texts, particularly Richard Mulcaster's Elementary (1582) and Edmund Coote's English Schoole-maister (1596).
This early dictionary was pretty basic compared to what we use today, but it marked the beginning of organised English vocabulary. Before Cawdrey's work, people just had to guess at spellings and meanings - imagine trying to write essays without any reference books!
Did You Know? Cawdrey's dictionary was aimed at helping ordinary people understand "hard words" - basically the 1600s version of helping students with difficult vocabulary!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
The Grammar Craze of the 1700s
The 18th century saw an absolute obsession with "correct" English. Grammar books became incredibly popular as everyone wanted to speak and write "properly."
Scholars, teachers, and what the transcript brilliantly calls "fuddy-duddy old men" believed English desperately needed strict rules. They thought the language was becoming too messy and informal, especially compared to prestigious languages like Latin.
This led to loads of published rule books telling people exactly how to use English. Many of these rules were completely made up by the authors, but they caught on anyway. Some of these invented rules still annoy students today - like never ending sentences with prepositions!
Reality Check: Many "grammar rules" you learn today were actually invented by 18th-century scholars who wanted English to behave more like Latin - even though English works completely differently!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Samuel Johnson's Legendary Dictionary (1755)
Samuel Johnson created what many consider the first truly comprehensive English dictionary in 1755. This wasn't some quick weekend project - it took over eight years to compile, required six helpers, and listed an impressive 40,000 words.
Johnson genuinely believed English was "in a terrible mess" and desperately needed discipline. His dictionary aimed to stabilise the language by providing definitive spellings, meanings, and usage examples for thousands of words.
However, Johnson was smart enough to recognise something crucial: languages naturally change and evolve. Despite wanting to create stability, he admitted that new words, pronunciations, and spellings constantly appear, and you can't really stop linguistic evolution.
Fun Fact: Johnson's dictionary remained the standard English reference for over 150 years - imagine using a textbook from the 1870s today!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
Johnson's Snobbery and Word Selection
Johnson had some pretty strong opinions about which words deserved inclusion in his dictionary. Being rather pompous, he decided certain words simply weren't "good enough" for his prestigious reference book.
Words like bang, budge, fuss, gambler, shabby, and touchy got the boot because Johnson considered them too informal or vulgar. This reveals how 18th-century attitudes about "proper" language excluded perfectly useful everyday vocabulary.
Johnson's pickiness shows how dictionary-making involves personal judgement, not just objective recording of language. His choices reflected upper-class preferences rather than how ordinary people actually spoke and wrote.
Think About It: Johnson rejected words like "fuss" and "shabby" that we use constantly today - imagine if modern dictionaries excluded common slang or informal terms you use with friends!
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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4.6/5
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4.7/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE Knowunity AI. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user