AQA A-level English Language – Language Change Practice Test

Which statement best captures the view that languages change because people change?

All living languages change. They have to. Languages have no existence apart from the people who use them. And because people are changing all the time, their language changes too, to keep up with them. The only languages that don't change are dead ones. Languages are fixed and do not change. Changes occur randomly with no relation to speakers. Changes are always for the better.

Correct Answer:

Explanation:

The main idea is that language is a social tool that evolves with its speakers. Language exists through use by people, not as a separate, fixed thing; as speakers change—their vocabulary, norms, technology, and ways of communicating—their language shifts to fit those new realities. Because people are continually changing, language changes too, and the only languages that don’t change are the ones that are no longer in use. This captures why the view emphasizes a direct link between how people live and how their speech evolves. The other ideas miss that connection: language isn’t fixed, change isn’t purely random, and it isn’t necessarily about getting better—it's about adapting to changing human use.

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