infinitives versus indicatives

bennettk at twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu bennettk at twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu
Fri Feb 19 18:37:03 UTC 1999


>
>
>>Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 12:15:58
>>To: Asma Siddiki <asma.siddiki at oriel.oxford.ac.uk>
>>From: bennettk at twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu
>>Subject: Re:
>>
>>
>>
>>It depends on the language. Languages which
>>have complicated systems of nonfinite verb uses,
>>and uses which only occur in embedded clauses,
>>would be difficult for children compared to
>>finite verbs that require little or no
>>morphological marking and/or occur in simple
>>clauses. In English, the present progressive and
>>irregular past forms of indicative verbs are
>>fairly early to develop; the infinitive forms
>>earliest to be acquired are unanalysed forms
>>such as gonna X and wanna X where the to
>>merges clitically with the main verb. It
>>takes a longer time before the child is
>>able to discern the morpheme boundary and
>>re-analyse as going to X or want to X.
>>
>>-Tina Bennett-Kastor
>>
>>
>>
>>t 12:32 AM 2/19/99 +0000, you wrote:
>>>Dear all,
>>>
>>>I don't know the answer to the following question and would like some help
>>>please.
>>>
>>>Do children learn the
>>>infinitive later than the indicative, and if so, then why?
>>>
>>>references????  - thanks.
>>>
>>>Asma
>>>************************************************************
>>>Asma Siddiki		     Dept. of Experimental Psychology
>>>Oriel College                South Parks Road
>>>Oxford University            Oxford University
>>>OX1 4EW                      OX1 3UD
>>>*************************************************************
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>



More information about the Info-childes mailing list