The acquisition of complex sentences

General features of the acquisition process

The earliest grammatical patterns are formally simplified.

The earliest utterances tend to be lexically specific.

Young children often memorize prefabricated patterns.

‚Input frequency‘ seems to be an important determinant of language acquisition.

Children do not just memorize the patterns they hear, they also analyze and organize the input data.

Xer BEAT y

Network of constructions

Xer DRAG y Xer MEEK yx is beaten

by y

Agent VERBtrans Patient

NP V NP

Patient is VERb-ed (by agent)

NP V (by NP)

Tendencies

From simple to complex

From concrete to abstract

From rote learning to system building

Complex sentences

Complex sentences

(1) You push it and it goes up.

(2) I will come when it stops.

(1) If he takes all of them I’m gonna beat him up.

(2) I think daddy’s is over there.

Two propositions/situations

Specific semantic relation

Complex sentences

Hierarchical relationship

(1) Daddy saw that mommy was sleeping.

(2) Sue knows how to do it.

Control

(1) Daddy makes me swim.

(2) Daddy promised me to come.

Order

(1) If he takes all of them I’m gonna beat him

up.

(2) The picture I made is blue.

Complex sentences

coordination subordination

complementrelative adverbial

finite finite finite non-fi.non-fi. non-fi.

Data

Children Age range Number of utterances

Number of complex sentences

Adam 2;3-4;10 46,498 4,389

Sarah 2;3-5;1 37,021 2,496

Nina 1;11-3;4 32,212 2,545

Peter 1;9-3;2 30,256 1,746

Naomi 1;8-3;5 14,656 802

Total 1;8-5;1 160,643 11,978

Proportion of complex sentences

0102030405060708090

100

2;0 3;0 4;0 5;0

Conjoined clauses

Conjoined clauses

Addition andContrast butCondition ifTime when, since, after, while, beforeCause because, so

Adverbial and coordinate clauses

(1)We will stay at home, when it rains.

(2)When it rains, we will stay at home.

(3)Mary works in the library and Peter is a psychiatrist.

(4)*And Peter is a psychiatrist Mary works in the library.

Previous literature

Children understand the semantic relationships before they begin

to use them.

Order of acquisition:

and > because/so/but/when > if/after/before

Order of mention principle (Clark 1973)

(1)He went home before Sally arrived.

(2)He went home after Sally arrived.

-> iconic

(3)Before Sally arrived, he went home.

(4)After Sally arrived, he went home. -> iconic

Naomi Peter Nina Sarah Adam Total Mean

and 254 480 719 464 706 2623 55.7

because 92 125 383 173 176 949 19.6

so 20 27 84 56 199 386 6.8

but 24 18 81 137 68 328 6.6

when 11 22 65 94 125 317 5.7

if 10 9 9 57 112 197 3.6

or 0 4 0 7 16 27 0.5

after 1 0 4 6 15 26 0.4

while 1 1 6 1 14 23 0.4

until 3 1 5 0 11 20 0.4

before 1 1 0 3 11 16 0.3

since 0 0 0 0 6 6 0.1

Total 417 688 1,356 998 1,459 4,918

And-clauses

(1) CHILD: Nina has dolly sleeping.

ADULT: The doll is sleeping too?

CHILD: And the man's sleeping on the big bed.

(2) ADULT: That's yours?

ADULT: Ok.

CHILD: And this is mine.

(3) CHILD: Piggy went to market.

ADULT: Yes.

CHILD: And piggy had none.

(4) ADULT: Flipper's on TV yeah.

CHILD: And Shaggy's not on TV.

And-clauses

Follow associated clause

Intonationally separated from associated clause

Linked across speaker turns

But-clauses

(1) ADULT: It is called the skin of the peanut.

CHILD: But this isn’t the skin.

(2) ADULT: No, it’s not raining today Pete.

CHILD: But … it’s raining here.

(3) ADULT: I think it’s time to put your dolly to bed.

CHILD: But the Snoopy is asleep.

(4) ADULT: David doesn’t shave yet.

CHILD: Uhuh. But I shave.

Because-clauses

(1) ADULT: Did you run over my blocks?

CHILD: Mmhm.

ADULT: Why?

CHILD: Because it’s a fire engine.

(2) CHILD: No you can’t get a napkin.

ADULT: Hmhm.

CHILD: No!

ADULT: Why?

CHILD: Cause it’s Mommy’s, … Mommy’s cleaning.

(3) CHILD: No, don’t touch this camera.

ADULT: Why?

CHILD: Cause it’s broken.

Because-clauses

(4) CHILD: Over here right over here, … don’t put

it there.

ADULT: Why not?

CHILD: Cause it’s my horse.

(5) CHILD: You can’t have this!

ADULT: Why?

CHILD: Cause … I’m using it.

Because-clauses

In response to a why-question

Intonationally separated from associated clause

Linked across speaker turns

So-clauses

(1) ADULT: Hey, what happened?CHILD: It opened.

CHILD: So the horsie could get out.(2) ADULT: What are you doing to the radio?

CHILD: Putting it on.CHILD: So you can watch it.

(3) ADULT: What is that?CHILD: That’s a little duckling.CHILD: So we put him in the forest.

(5) ADULT: How many blankets are you putting on Sue?CHILD: Two.CHILD: So he could sleep.

Discourse patterns

ADULT/CHILD: xxxCHILD: And …

ADULT: xxxCHILD: But …

CHILD: xxxADULT: Why?CHILD: Because

CHILD: xxxCHILD: So …

Late conjoined clauses

(1) ADULT: Did you sleep in the same room with Elizabeth?

CHILD: Yes.CHILD: And we both sleep on the floor when we

take naps.(2) CHILD: I put all the dollies in, see?

CHILD: It’s getting crowded after I put all the dollies in.

(3) CHILD: It’s got a flat tire.ADULT: Yeah.CHILD: When it’s got a flat tire… it’s need to go

to the… to the station.(4) ADULT: He can take some.

CHILD: If he takes all of them I’m gonna beat him up.

Bound and unbound conjoined clauses

21,8

78,282,5

17,5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

früheKonjunktionalsätze

späte Konjunktionalsätze

gebundenungebunden

Initial and final conjoined clauses

0102030405060708090

100

3;0 4;0 5;0

finalinitial

Late conjoined clauses

Intonationally bound

Preposed

Pragmatically presupposed or backgrounded

Complement clauses

Complement clauses

Semantic types: 1. communication verbs (e.g. say, tell) 2. perception verbs (e.g. see, hear) 3. mental verbs (e.g. know, think)

Formal types: 1. I know (that) she will come. S-complement 2. I don’t know if she will come. IF-complement 3. I don’t know when she will come. WH-complement

Naomi Peter Nina Sarah Adam Total Mean

know 14 85 30 107 138 374 22.9

see 8 49 53 113 156 379 20.5

think 12 48 21 89 191 361 19.0

say 7 17 30 46 38 138 9.8

look 2 18 44 20 72 156 8.8

tell 2 17 6 10 16 51 3.5

pretend 1 3 19 2 9 34 2.7

guess 1 8 1 18 19 47 2.4

wonder 0 1 6 4 50 61 2.0

mean 0 2 2 20 14 38 1.5

others 0 7 4 19 39 69 7.7

Total 48 266 220 474 804 1,812

Early complement clauses

I think it’s a cow. (Adam 2,3)

See this is empty. (Peter 2,4)

I know you are here. (Peter 2,5)

Think he’s gone. (Nina 2,5)

I guess I’ve one. (Nina 2;6)

Think-clauses

I think I'm go in here. 3;1

And I think... we need dishes. 3;2

Think some toys over here too. 3;3

I think I play jingle bells… with the record player. 3;5

I think he's gone. 3;5

Oh... I think it's a ball. 3;5

It's a crazy bone... I think. 3;5

I think it's in here. 3;5

I think it's in here… Mommy. 2;7

Think it's in there. 2;8

The subject is always I.

The matrix verb appears always in present tense.

There is no auxiliary, modal, or PP in the matrix clause.

The complement clause is longer and more diverse.

There is no that-complementizer.

In some sentences I think follows the complement clause.

Features of early think clauses

I think ___ .

The complement clause presents the main information.

The matrix verb does not really describe a situation.

There is no formal sign of embedding.

The matrix clause functions as an epistemic marker.

Semantically, the complex sentence is a simple sentence

containing a single proposition.

Features of early think clauses

Development of think clauses

3;0

3,6

4;0

4;6

I think__

Do you think__

I thought__

I’m thinking__ They think__ What do you think__

guess clauses

I guess I better come…. 3;5

Guess I'll write some more white. 3;9

Guess I lay it down. 3;10

I guess saw me break them. 3;10

I guess I have one more. 4;4

That goes right here but it don't fit… I guess. 4;4

Now… I guess that goes right there… doesn't it? 4;4

Because it have both lines… I guess. 4;5

I guess this is a hill… like this. 4;9

I guess this is… 5;0

I wish I could play with dis [= a Christmas present]. 3;5

I wish I can keep it (pause) for writing on. 3;5

I wish I can keep dat so I can tick (pause) tick it. 3;5

I wish we can eat... 3;8

I wish we could eat that. 3;8

I wish I could have a tractor to drive in them. 3;8

I wish ... could ... make some more just like dat. 3;8

I wish you could color all dese. 3;9

I wish I could have a picnic. 3;11

Momma ... I wish I could come back here. 3;11

wish clauses

know clauses

I know this piece go. 2;6

I know ... soldier marching. 2;8

How do you know it going eat supper? 3;0

How do you know dat a duck?. 3;0

How do you know dat convertible? 3;0

How do you know ... I saw ducks 3;0

How do you know ... put my cup up? 3;0

How do you know ... doesn’t hurt me? 3;1

Mommy ... How do you know dat’s Harvard Square bus? 3;1

Do you know de lights went off? 3;1

see clauses

Got to make them bigger… see? 2;3

See this is empty. 2;3

Let’s see we fix them. 2;3

See these are stamps. 2;4

See Daddy’s on the grass. 2;5

See boat has sails on it. 2;5

See the peoples going. 2;6

Mommy write it… see? 2;6

See I’m writing? 2;6

See you do it? 2;7

remember clauses

Remember we played with Samantha? 3;0

Remember you reading de puzzle… 3;2

Remember I broke my window? 4;0

You have to put it in the barn… remember? 4;0

Remember it was Halloween and… 4;2

I remember the bee bite me in the belly…. 4;5

Remember I don’t had to go to the doctors? 4;5

Remember last year I knew how to make a two?4;11

Hey ... remember that I hanged them on like that? 5;0

say clauses

The cowboy say (pause) “I'm angry at you”. 2;9

He sayed he has something to play with for me. 2;9

That means peoples say “put the kitty down”. 2;10

She gonna say I have a pretty dress on. 2;10

The kitty says he wants to come in. 2;10

He say the alligator's gonna bite him up. 2;10

You make a rabbit and a bear I said. 2;10

He said yes he will give you a cow. 2;11

She said she is gonna give me a pillow… 2;11

Dolly said “yes she (pause) she’s a witch. 2;11

tell clauses

She telled me she for get the doll carriage for me. 2;10

He telled me… me don’t scream again. 3;0

Tell me… I would like to come to your house again. 3;0

I’m gonna tell him I wanna go to his house. 3;3

I tell her… “no… no… baby that’s my stuff”. 3;3

I told you I could make a carrot. 4;2

I told you you’re cuckoo. 4;6

I wanna tell the kids ‘do you heard of this kind of water?’ 4;9

Tell Daddy I’m sick. 4;10

I told you I need the (…) to do it. 4;11

pretend clauses

Pretend it’s Ernie. 2;3

We will pretend there’s play dough for something to eat. 2;10

Just pretend you have a hurt. 3;10

I pretending fish were coming. 3;0

I pretending whales were coming. 3;0

Oh.. this… pretend this is a blanket. 3;0

I gonna pretend this is a sleeping bag. 3;0

But.. but just pretend that’s his name. 3;1

Let’s pretend that’s name. 3;1

Now you pretend this is Spencer’s Mommy. 3;1

IF/WH-complement clauses

IF-complements

… and see if I’m tall. 2;10

Now let’s see if it fits on this little boy. 3;1

Let me see if there’s something else in her bag. 3;3

I want to see if you… 3;8

Let me see if I can touch you. 4;2

See if I can make a kite. 4;8

See if I can make you wink. 4;9

See if I can pour it like this. 4;9

See if it smells. 4;11

Let me see if you get anymore. 5;1

WH-complements

I wonder what a whale fish is. 3;8

I wonder what skinned means. 3;8

I wonder what dat is. 3;8

I wonder what dat noise is. 3;8

I wonder what it is. 3;8

Mommy… I wonder what dat is. 3;8

I wonder what dey are. 3;8

I wonder what dis is. 3;8

I wonder where the door is. 3;8

I wonder where the rest of it is. 3;8

WH-complements

Guess what it is? 3;5

Guess who we spun? 4;1

Guess what that is? 4;5

Guess what I can make still? 4;6

Guess what that is? 4;6

Guess what this is? 4;10

Guess what it is? 4;10

Guess what dis is? 4;11

Guess what dis is going to be, Mommy? 5;2

Guess how old I am? 5;2

IF + WH-complements

Early clauses:

Let (me/us) see if __ I wonder wh __ Guess __ ? See if __

Later clauses:

(1) He doesn’t know where he’s driving. [4;0] (2) Paul knows where it is, doesn’t he? [4;3] (3) This airplane doesn’t know where it’s going. [4;4] (4) She didn’t know where it was. [5;0]

Emergence of schematic constructions

I think __ Remember __

Emergence of schematic constructions

I think __ Remember __

Emergence of schematic constructions

He thinks __ I am thinking __

NP think __

NP VERB __

I think __ Remember __

schematic

concrete

The two dimensions of the development

simple complex