This volume investigates the linguistic and stylistic evolution of the English language during the transition from the Old English period to the emergence of Middle English. The authors, G. V. Smithers and J. A. W. Bennett, compile a rigorous selection of primary texts to demonstrate the shift in syntax, vocabulary, and orthography between 1155 and 1300. By providing annotated excerpts, the work establishes a framework for understanding how vernacular literature developed in the post-Conquest era.

Scholars and students of medieval philology frequently cite this work as a foundational resource for accessing primary source material from the thirteenth century. The text is noted for its academic density and is primarily utilized in university-level courses focusing on the history of the English language.