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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 11.1.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which reporter first brings colloquial Americanisms to the written word, according to Mencken in Chapter 9.2?
(a) George Ade.
(b) J.C. Neal.
(c) Ring W. Lardner.
(d) Josh Billings.

2. To what country does the English correspondent in Chapter 4.5 ascribe many American expletives?
(a) Ireland.
(b) France.
(c) Germany.
(d) Sweden.

3. What is the universal substitute for the word "ye" as described in Chapter 6.2?
(a) Thou.
(b) The.
(c) Thee.
(d) You.

4. Which of the following is a term used by philologists to indicate the "instinctive search, etymologically unsound, for short roots in long words"?
(a) Formative de-synthesizing.
(b) Back-formation.
(c) Deconstructing.
(d) Etymanalyzing.

5. What does Mencken say, in colloquial American, has obliterated the verb?
(a) The auxiliary.
(b) Vulgar speech.
(c) Over-regulation.
(d) Illiteracy.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which letter of the alphabet do Americans differ in pronunciation from other English-speaking countries?

2. What word was "coatee" used as a diminutive for?

3. In what year did the National Education Association withdraw from the campaign for simplified spelling?

4. What is the principal reason Mencken states that the English language has not greatly diverged since the foundation of the United States of America?

5. How is "Des Moines" pronounced in American, according to Mencken?

(see the answer key)

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