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Compare Old and New Words

In this worksheet, students will look at some of the vocabulary used in plays, poetry and books from many centuries ago and find a modern equivalent.

'Compare Old and New Words' worksheet

Key stage:  KS 3

Year:  Year 7 English worksheets

Curriculum topic:   Reading

Curriculum subtopic:   Check Understanding

Popular topics:   Year 7 Reading Comprehension worksheets, Reading Comprehension worksheets

Difficulty level:  

Worksheet Overview

When you read texts written a long time ago, such as the works of Shakespeare, it is clear that some words in the English language have changed over time.

 

Shakespeare

 

Some are shortened or lengthened, while others change their meaning. Some words from Shakespeare's time have disappeared altogether, and we use a great many new words that he would not recognise at all.

 

Look at the sentences in old English in this exercise and see if you can work out what the underlined words mean in modern English. Try to use the context (the rest of the sentence) to help you choose the correct meaning.

 

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