Question

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is an important work because

a. Chaucer's use of the English vernacular was important in making his dialect the chief ancestor of the modern English language.

b. it was the first work in French to be published in England and France, opening those countries up to England's culture and language.

c. it was the first collection of short stories by a single author to be published.

d. his poignant portrayal of the English lower class evoked a change on English society, allowing families to break the hereditary cycle of poverty.

Answer 1

a.

Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in Middle English (largely the East Midlands dialect), and his use of the English vernacular helped elevate that dialect and English literary language at a time when Latin and French dominated serious writing. The other choices are incorrect.