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Basic English is a simplified version of the English language that uses 850 words to convey all possible concepts used by English speakers. Created in the 1930s by an English linguist, Basic English was intended to provide an easier form of English for non-English speakers to learn. The intent was to provide a lingua franca , or common language, that could be used for business and other purposes. While the vocabulary of Basic English is limited, the rules of grammar and word usage remain the same. This means that Basic English users are speaking a simpler language that is still a legitimate and linguistically identical form of English.