Language Change
The phenomenon of language change probably attracts more public notice and more【81】(disapprove) than any other linguistic issue. There is a widely held belief that change must mean【82】(deteriorate) and decay. Older people observe the casual speech of the young and conclude that standards have fallen appreciably.
It is understandable that many people dislike change, but it is【83】(wise) to condemn all linguistic【84】(modify). It is often felt that contemporary language illustrates the problem at its worst, but this belief is shared by every generation. There are indeed cases where linguistic change can lead to problems of unintelligibility and【85】(ambiguous), and if change is too rapid there can be major communication problems. But as a rule, the parts of language which are undergoing change at any given time are【86】(relative) small in comparison to the vast, unchanging areas of language. It is because change is so【87】(frequent) that it is so distinctive and【88】(notice). Some degree of caution and concern is therefore always desirable for the【89】(maintain) of precision and【90】(effect) communication, but there are no grounds for the extremely pessimistic attitudes so often encountered.
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