Explore How Language Changes Over Time

In this worksheet, students will consider the different ways in which language changes over time and some of the new words recently added to our vocabulary.

Key stage: KS 3

Year: Year 8 English worksheets

Curriculum topic: Grammar and Vocabulary

Curriculum subtopic: Know and Understand Different Forms of Language

Difficulty level:

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Worksheet Overview

All languages change over time. If we had been alive in Shakespeare's time we would speak a very different version of English from the one we speak today!

Shakespeare

There are different ways in which languages change.

Sometimes new words are invented, such as selfie and bromance.

Stick men with colourful speech bubbles.

At other times, existing words take on new or specific meanings. For example, the word tweet still refers to the noise a bird makes, but it is now also the action for using a popular social media platform.

A green bird signing on a branch.

In this activity, you can look at some of the different ways that English has changed over the centuries.

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Preview activity

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