Question

A major change in Modern English grammar was:

• A. Establishment of a fixed Subject-Verb-Object word order
• B. Loss of inflections and increased use of prepositions
• C. Complete regularization of all irregular verb forms
• D. Increased reliance on auxiliary verbs for tense and mood

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Loss of inflections and increased use of prepositions

During the Modern English period (from around 1500 onwards), the structure of English underwent significant grammatical changes.

Key Changes:

• Inflections (word endings indicating case, number, gender, etc.) were greatly reduced.

  • Example: Old English "stonas" (stones) → Modern English "stones" (simplified plural).

• To replace inflectional endings, English began relying more on word order and prepositions to show relationships between words.

  • Example: to the house, in the garden, on the table