Scholars for Life: 2000 Years of Verbs

August 4, 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Scholars for Life is Central's popular speaker series featuring dinner and a rotating lineup of speakers and topics. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and the talk will begin at 6 p.m.

The talk and dinner are $25. Pay in person with cash or check or pay online at www.ccsu.edu/conedpayment/. Just type in $25 in the payment field and we will apply it to the event you attend.

About the talk

In this lecture and workshop, Department Chair of English Dr. Matthew Ciscel will explore the role, form, and grammar of verbs across the recorded history of the English language. After a brief overview of the key stages and markers of change in English, participants will look at some texts in Contemporary, Early Modern, Middle, and Old English to compare the forms and functions of verbs. Participants will get in on the action by completing some fun (and challenging) worksheets in groups at their tables.