Inverted word order, unclear pronouns, and variable spellings are characteristics of what type of English?
A.Old English
B.Elizabethan English
C. Middle English
b. elizabethan, and that would be on page 64 of your study guide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English
elizabethan english
The characteristics mentioned, such as inverted word order, unclear pronouns, and variable spellings, are primarily associated with Middle English.
To understand why, let's consider the time period when Middle English was spoken. Middle English was predominant from the 11th century to the 15th century, after Old English and before Early Modern English. During this transition phase, significant changes occurred in the English language, including phonological, grammatical, and lexical shifts.
One notable feature of Middle English is its word order. While Old English typically followed a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, Middle English introduced more flexibility in word order. Inverted word order became common, with sentences often featuring an Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) structure or a Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) structure.
Regarding pronouns, Middle English retained some of the pronouns from Old English but introduced new forms and variations. Pronouns in Middle English were often ambiguous and lacked clear distinctions between gender and case, leading to unclear referents.
Variable spellings were also characteristic of Middle English. Standardized spelling had not yet been established, and scribes and writers had more freedom to use different spellings for the same word. This variation in spelling can make reading Middle English challenging for modern readers.
In summary, the combination of inverted word order, unclear pronouns, and variable spellings are key characteristics of Middle English, making it the answer to the question.