ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Department of English)

WARNING
1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING
THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD
OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM
OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN
“AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY”.

Course: History of English Language (9052) Semester: Spring, 2023

Level: BS (English)

Please read the following instructions for writing your assignments. (AD, BS, BEd,
MA/MSc, MEd) (ODL Mode).
1. All questions are compulsory and carry equal marks but within a question the
marks are distributed according to its requirements.
2. Read the question carefully and then answer it according to the requirements of the
questions.
3. Avoid irrelevant discussion/information and reproducing from books, study guide
or allied material.
4. Handwritten scanned assignments are not acceptable.
5. Upload your typed (in Word or PDF format) assignments on or before the due date.
6. Your own analysis and synthesis will be appreciated.
7. Late assignments can’t be uploaded at LMS.
8. The students who attempt their assignments in Urdu/Arabic may upload a scanned
copy of their handwritten assignments (in PDF format) on University LMS. The
size of the file should not exceed 5MP.

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

ASSIGNMENT No. 1
(Units 1-4)
Q.1 What are the difficulties that speakers face during the acquisition of English
language? Explain with examples. (10)

Q.2 Define what is family of languages? What is the significance of Indian language in
the Indo-European family of languages and why do we need to know about it in the
context of the English language? (20)

Q.3 Agreement prevails amongst speakers of any speech community, but if one speech
community separates from another for a long time, the difference between them
becomes great, discuss with examples. (20)

1
Q.4 From the list of eleven languages from the Indo-European family of languages
mentioned in your textbook, what is the similarity between them? Explain with the
help of examples. (10)
Q.5 Old English is said to be a grammatically gendered language. Explain with
examples. (10)
Q.6 How was the Scandinavian influence on Old English different from Latin
influence? (10)

Q.7 English has gone through a long journey of change in the past thousand years
during which it underwent colossal modification. What changes did the vocabulary
of Old English undergo due to foreign influence on it? (20)

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

ASSIGNMENT No. 2
(Units 5-9)
Q.1 What were the major historical events that contributed towards shaping up the
English language between 1066 and 1200? Elaborate with examples. (20)
Q.2 In his widespread campaign to legitimize himself, William commissioned a
countrywide census in 1086 in the form of Doomsday Book. Discuss the impact of
this legitimization on the English language with the help of examples. (20)
Q.3 After the Norman conquest, a huge percentage of the English vocabulary was
derived from French. Explain with the help of appropriate examples. (10)

Q.4 Explain the following with reference to the use of English language after the loss of
normandy: (20)
a. Records of town and trade
b. Records of parliament
c. Chancery standard
d. Private and official correspondence

Q.5 Define what is meant by the Renaissance period. Also, explain the impact of the
Renaissance period upon the vocabulary of the English language. (10)
Q.6 English has gone through a long journey of change in the past thousand years
during which its grammar also underwent colossal modification. Compare the
grammatical features of Middle and Early Modern English. (10)
Q.7 Explain some characteristics of regional varieties of the Late Modern English with
appropriate examples. (10)