An introduction to Early Modern English, this book helps students of English and linguistics to place the language of the period 1500-1700 in its historical context as a language with a common core but also as one which varies across time, regionally and socially, and according to register. The volume focuses on the structure of what contemporaries called the General Dialect - its spelling, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation - and on its dialectal origins. The book also discusses the language situation and linguistic anxieties in England at a time when Latin exerted a strong influence on the rising standard language. The volume includes: *The major changes in English from the 15th to the 18th century *Emphasis on long-term linguistic developments *Sources for the study of Early Modern English *Illustrations ranging from drama and personal letters to trials and early science *Exercises encouraging further exploration of the changing English language.