This course, taught by a specialist in the history of English grammar, will give students an overview of the history of English phonology, morphology, lexicon, and syntax as well as the development of 'new Englishes' due to colonisation.  Although it is not a literature course, it will introduce students to the nature of the literature of Early, Middle, and Early Modern English and will include discussions of how scribal and editorial practices may affect our understanding of the language of texts.

On satisfying the requirements of the course, students will be able to:

1. Analyse a wide range of syntactic and morphological structures in Old, Middle, and Early Modern English, applying the grammatical terminology and analytical techniques they have learned in the course.
2. Identify some major dialect differences in the period before the standardization of English.
3. Systematically analyse some differences between the grammar of the English of earlier periods and the grammar of Present Day English.
4. Use the Oxford English Dictionary Online and the Middle English Dictionary to learn independently about the history of individual words and collocations.
5. Undertake guided research on a topic in English morphology, syntax, or style.

Tutorial participation (10%).  This assessment will be based on evidence of the preparation of the tutorial exercises handed out in advance. Two analytical assignments (20% each). One research paper of  1500-1800 words (20%). One 2-hour open book final examination (30%), in the examination period. 

26 hours of lectures (2 per week) and 8 tutorials.  Students can expect to spend 10 hours per week on this course, including lectures and tutorials.

LING1001 Introduction to the Study of Language or LING2001 Introduction to the Study of Language (L), or permission of lecturer.

Essentials of Early English, by Jeremy Smith (Routledge 2005)

None required