Did you
know that...
1)
Shakespeare, in his plays, poems, and
other writings, used 29,066 unique words. Most people today only use 7,500 to
10,000 unique words in their writing and speech.
2)
Shakespeare introduced nearly 3,000
words into the English language. In addition, Shakespeare's works, which were
often quoted, became such commonplace that they helped set the standards for
Modern English; prior to Shakespeare, English grammar and spelling had few
standards. In addition, many of Shakespeare's expressions (such as "a
foregone conclusion") are commonly used today.
3)
Shakespeare’s ability to formulate new, popular
words and his ability to maintain an extensive vocabulary positively define him
as a "man of words." For his phrases to stand the test of time,
Shakespeare must have had a proficiency for the English language. So why
not share this relevant information with your students and show how brilliant
this genious was. Have a try!
