Theory

Question 1

Verb processes

Answer 1

Actor: the person or entity responsible for the action of a verb process
Affected: the person or entity affected by a material action process

Question 2

Sara Mills 1995

Answer 2

Semantic derogation e.g. mistress, bachelor

Question 3

Jean Aitchinson

Answer 3

1. Ease of articulation e.g. loss of terminal-e
2. Social prestige and changes in society - mass communication, informalisation of the media

Question 4

Bex (1996) Genre change theory

Answer 4

Genres indicate what is regarded as important in that society

Question 5

Biber - informalisation of writing

Answer 5

Increased informalisation of written registers over time
Colloquialisation: adopting spoken language features (e.g. contractions, progressive tense)
Economization: fiction/news genres discourse becoming more concise (e.g. shorter sentences, paragraphs, direct quotations used)

Question 6

Labov change from above/below