[Laura]

Good morning,

With all due respect, I think that Beowulf cannot be contracted and here is why.  In the NLS Lesson Book, in Lesson 16 specifically (16.6 Early Forms of English), it states that contractions should not be used in texts written in "Old English" (about 1100 A.D. or earlier).  Beowulf is an Old English text that not only does not sound anything like Modern English, but it does not sound much like Middle English either; therefore, I think that is why it is not supposed to be contracted.  If it were in Middle English, it would be optional, and if it were in an even later form of English then it would be contracted, but it isn't.  Hopefully that made sense!

 

Thank you,

Laura

[Laura]

Thank you Cindi, I have notified staff to add this word to their lists.

[Laura]

I have a question concerning the shortforms list.  Why is unpaid allowed but not unsaid?  My proofreader said that unsaid has been added to the list, yet I cannot find it anywhere and the NLS Drill book spells it out, the ICEB Rule Book does not have it in the Shortform Word List or the Word List in Appendix 2.  Who is right?

Thank you,

Laura

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