General Language Milestones: Syntax B-5

Question 1

Basic Semantic Roles and Relations
Two-word utterances emerge
Word order is consistent
Utterances are “telegraphic” with few grammatical markers

Answer 1

18 to 24 months

Browns Stage I:

Question 2

Grammatical morphemes
-ing, in, on, plural -s
Use of no, not, can’t, don’t as negation between subject and verb
Questions formed w rising intonation only
sentences with semi auxiiiaries gonna, wanna, gotta, haft appear

Answer 2

24 to 30 months

BS 2

Question 3

modulation of simple sentences
Present tense auxiliaries appear
Be verbs used inconsistently
Overgeneralization of past tense forms appear

Answer 3

30 to 36 months

BS 3

Question 4

Emergence of embedded sentences
First complex sentences emerge
Aux verbs are placed correctly in questions and negatives
Irregular past tense, articles (a, the), possessive ‘s acquired

Answer 4

36 to 42 mos

BS 4

Question 5

Early emerging complex sentence types including:

• full prepositional clauses
• wh- clauses
• simple infinitives
• conjoined

Answer 5

42- 48 mos

BS Late IV early V

Question 6

Later developing morphemes acquired including:
- Be verbs
- Regular past tense
- Third person /s/
Past tense auxiliaries used
Later-developing complex sentences used, including:
- Relative clauses (right branching)
- Infinitive clauses with different subjects
- Gerund clauses
- Wh- infinitive clauses
Basic sentence forms acquired

Answer 6

48-60 mos

BS V