Syntactic Development: Master Grammar and Sentence Structure

Question 1

In the one-word stage of syntactic development, children's language primarily consists of:

Accepted Answer

Single words

Answer

Phrases with multiple words

Answer

Complete sentences

Answer

No spoken words

Question 2

How do environmental factors and genetic predispositions interact to influence syntactic development?

Accepted Answer

Environmental factors and genetic predispositions work together to shape syntactic development, each influencing the other.

Answer

Environmental factors solely drive syntactic development, with genetic predispositions having no influence.

Answer

Genetic predispositions solely determine syntactic development, making environmental factors irrelevant.

Answer

Environmental factors and genetic predispositions have no significant impact on syntactic development.

Question 3

Which stage of language development, where children produce one-word utterances, typically occurs around 12-18 months?

Accepted Answer

Holophrastic stage

Answer

Telegraphic stage

Answer

Two-word stage

Answer

Receptive language stage

Question 4

According to Chomsky's nativist theory, children are innately equipped with a:

Accepted Answer

Universal grammar framework

Answer

Capacity to comprehend language

Answer

Ability to produce language

Answer

Vocabulary of basic words

Question 5

Which of the following examples illustrates a grammatical morpheme?

Accepted Answer

-ed

Answer

Noun

Answer

Walk

Answer

The

Question 6

The ability to construct meaningful sentences by combining words is known as:

Accepted Answer

Syntactic development

Answer

Semantic development

Answer

Pragmatic development

Answer

Morphological development

Question 7

Who conducted the influential study on imitation in children's language development?

Accepted Answer

Albert Bandura

Answer

Jean Piaget

Answer

Noam Chomsky

Answer

Lev Vygotsky

Question 8

Children's ability to comprehend ungrammatical sentences that make sense demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

Semantic bootstrapping

Answer

Overgeneralization

Answer

Selective attention

Answer

Cognitive flexibility

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of telegraphic speech?

Accepted Answer

Use of complete sentences

Answer

Omission of grammatical morphemes

Answer

Telegraphic speech often occurs between ages 2 and 3.

Answer

Correct pronunciation of words

Question 10

According to the interactionist perspective, language development is the result of:

Accepted Answer

A blend of nature and nurture

Answer

Nature alone

Answer

Nurture alone

Answer

Environmental factors solely

Question 11

Which of the following poses a challenge for children acquiring syntax?

Accepted Answer

Learning grammatical rules

Answer

Understanding word meanings

Answer

Pronunciation

Answer

Vocabulary development

Question 12

Syntactic bootstrapping involves using:

Accepted Answer

Contextual cues to grasp grammar

Answer

Grammar rules to interpret context

Answer

Language understanding to support language production

Answer

Language production to support language understanding

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the development of syntactic abilities?

Accepted Answer

Conceptual development

Answer

One-word utterances

Answer

Telegraphic speech

Answer

Advanced grammatical structures

Question 14

What type of sentence structure is characterized by the omission of grammatical function words like articles and prepositions?

Accepted Answer

Telegraphic speech

Answer

Complex sentences

Answer

Compound sentences

Answer

Passive voice

Question 15

What is a transformational grammar?

Accepted Answer

A grammar that describes the rules for generating sentences.

Answer

A grammar that describes the stages of syntactic development.

Answer

A grammar that focuses on the semantic meaning of sentences.

Answer

A grammar that emphasizes the role of social interaction in language development.

Question 16

Which criticism is often raised against Chomsky's theory of universal grammar?

Accepted Answer

It undervalues the influence of environmental factors.

Answer

It is too deterministic.

Answer

It lacks empirical evidence.

Answer

It is contradicted by cross-cultural research.

Question 17

According to Brown's stages of syntactic development, which of the following is the correct sequence?

Accepted Answer

One-word utterances, two-word utterances, telegraphic speech, complex sentences

Answer

Two-word utterances, one-word utterances, telegraphic speech, complex sentences

Answer

Telegraphic speech, one-word utterances, two-word utterances, complex sentences

Answer

Complex sentences, telegraphic speech, one-word utterances, two-word utterances

Question 18

The nativist view on language acquisition emphasizes that:

Accepted Answer

Language is innate and unfolds naturally with development.

Answer

Language is primarily learned through environmental factors.

Answer

Language is acquired through a combination of nature and nurture.

Answer

Language is a skill that is not fully developed until adulthood.

Question 19

A semantic error in language development occurs when:

Accepted Answer

Words are used incorrectly or in an inappropriate context

Answer

Sentences are grammatically incorrect

Answer

Words are omitted from sentences

Answer

Sentences are too complex or difficult to understand

Question 20

Scaffolding in syntactic development involves:

Accepted Answer

Providing temporary support to help children learn new syntactic structures

Answer

Punishing children for making syntactic errors

Answer

Expecting children to learn syntax through direct instruction alone

Answer

Ignoring syntactic errors and waiting for children to develop naturally

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of telegraphic speech?

Accepted Answer

Use of correct verb tenses

Answer

Omission of function words (e.g., articles, prepositions)

Answer

Reliance on nouns and verbs

Answer

Short, simple sentences

Question 22

Which term describes the ability to produce grammatical sentences by combining words and phrases?

Accepted Answer

Syntax

Answer

Semantics

Answer

Pragmatics

Answer

Morphology

Question 23

Noam Chomsky proposed which theory to explain language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

Universal Grammar Theory

Answer

Behaviorism

Answer

Cognitivism

Answer

Social Learning Theory

Question 24

Which stage of syntactic development is characterized by two-word combinations?

Accepted Answer

Telegraphic stage

Answer

Holophrastic stage

Answer

One-word stage

Answer

Sentential stage

Question 25

Which factor does NOT play a role in syntactic development?

Accepted Answer

Eye color

Answer

Exposure to language

Answer

Cognitive abilities

Answer

Social interaction

Question 26

What is the process called by which children learn their native language?

Accepted Answer

Language acquisition

Answer

Language comprehension

Answer

Language production

Answer

Syntactic processing

Question 27

Which aspect of language allows us to understand the meaning of sentences beyond their literal interpretation?

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics

Answer

Semantics

Answer

Syntax

Answer

Morphology

Question 28

Which characteristic is NOT typical of telegraphic speech in young children?

Accepted Answer

Elaborate sentence structures

Answer

Omission of articles (e.g., 'the', 'a')

Answer

Use of present tense

Answer

Simple sentences with few conjunctions

Question 29

Which theorist proposed the concept of a 'Language Acquisition Device' (LAD)?

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky

Answer

Jean Piaget

Answer

Lev Vygotsky

Answer

Jerome Bruner

Question 30

Which common syntactic error do children often make during early language development?

Accepted Answer

Overgeneralizing grammatical rules

Answer

Using non-finite verbs exclusively

Answer

Making no pluralization errors

Answer

Producing sentences with perfect word order

Question 31

Around what age do children typically start combining words into two-word utterances?

Accepted Answer

12-18 months

Answer

6-9 months

Answer

24-30 months

Answer

36-42 months

Question 32

What is a key mechanism involved in syntactic bootstrapping?

Accepted Answer

Inferring meaning from context to understand unfamiliar words

Answer

Learning grammatical rules through direct instruction

Answer

Imitating the speech of others exactly

Answer

Repeating words and phrases without understanding their meaning

Question 33

Which term refers to the ability to produce and comprehend sentences that follow grammatical rules?

Accepted Answer

Grammatical competence

Answer

Pragmatic competence

Answer

Discourse competence

Answer

Sociolinguistic competence

Question 34

Which disorder is characterized by difficulties with sentence comprehension and production?

Accepted Answer

Specific language impairment (SLI)

Answer

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Answer

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Answer

Dyslexia

Question 35

According to Chomsky's theory of language acquisition, what innate mechanism supports children's ability to learn and use language?

Accepted Answer

Universal Grammar

Answer

Pragmatic competence

Answer

Operant conditioning

Answer

Imitation and reinforcement

Question 36

What is the term for the stage of language development where children overgeneralize grammatical rules?

Accepted Answer

Overregularization

Answer

Telegraphic speech

Answer

Syntactic bootstrapping

Answer

Language explosion

Question 37

What is the primary role of scaffolding in syntactic development?

Accepted Answer

Offering gradual support and guidance tailored to the child's current level of understanding

Answer

Providing explicit instruction

Answer

Correcting errors directly

Answer

Encouraging memorization of grammar rules

Question 38

What is the term for the ability to understand and use language appropriately in different social contexts?

Accepted Answer

Pragmatic competence

Answer

Linguistic competence

Answer

Conversational skills

Answer

Discourse analysis

Question 39

How can explicit instruction influence the development of sentence structure?

Accepted Answer

It can enhance language development in certain situations.

Answer

It can hinder natural language development.

Answer

It is the main factor driving language development.

Answer

It has no significant impact on language development.

Question 40

In Chomsky's theory of universal grammar, what is considered a fundamental aspect of language acquisition?

Accepted Answer

A set of universal grammar rules

Answer

Imitating and repeating speech patterns

Answer

Receiving rewards for correct language use

Answer

Creating connections between stimuli and responses

Question 41

Which is a distinguishing characteristic of the telegraphic stage in syntactic development?

Accepted Answer

Sentences primarily composed of nouns and verbs.

Answer

Sentences are often lengthy and incorporate complex structures.

Answer

Children employ a wide range of conjunctions to connect words and phrases.

Question 42

Which theorist proposed that children learn grammar through imitation and reinforcement, shaping their behavior to produce correct sentences?

Accepted Answer

B. F. Skinner

Answer

Lev Vygotsky

Answer

Jean Piaget

Question 43

In linguistics, what is the minimum unit of meaning called?

Accepted Answer

Morpheme

Answer

Semantics

Answer

Syntax

Answer

Phoneme

Question 44

Which stage of language development is characterized by the use of utterances consisting primarily of two words?

Accepted Answer

Two-word stage

Answer

One-word stage

Answer

Grammatical stage

Answer

Multi-word stage

Question 45

In language acquisition, what is the primary function of using the passive voice?

Accepted Answer

To express an action that is received rather than performed, highlighting the recipient of the action.

Answer

To indicate a question or request.

Answer

To emphasize the agent of an action.

Question 46

In the context of cognitive development, which domain is primarily responsible for the ability to comprehend and produce language, including syntactic structures?

Accepted Answer

Language

Answer

Attention

Answer

Memory

Answer

Perception

Question 47

In what way does parental input contribute to children's syntactic development?

Accepted Answer

It provides children with models of correct language use and feedback on their own attempts, facilitating their learning process.

Answer

It only influences vocabulary development, not syntactic structures.

Answer

It inhibits the child's natural acquisition process by imposing adult grammar rules.

Question 48

Which of the following examples represents a common type of syntactic error made by young children?

Accepted Answer

He goed to the store.

Answer

I went home yesterday.

Answer

The ball is red.

Answer

The dog is barking.

Question 49

During which approximate age range do children typically start producing multi-word utterances, combining two or more words to form meaningful phrases?

Accepted Answer

12-18 months

Answer

6-12 months

Answer

24-30 months

Answer

18-24 months

Question 50

Which of the following is a key characteristic of transformational grammar, proposed by Noam Chomsky?

Accepted Answer

It allows for the generation of an infinite number of sentences by applying a limited set of rules, highlighting the creativity and flexibility of language.

Answer

It focuses solely on the literal meaning of words, neglecting the context and intent of the speaker.

Answer

It relies heavily on memorization of sentence patterns, limiting the ability to produce novel utterances.

Question 51

When children apply grammatical rules to new situations, sometimes resulting in incorrect forms, what is this phenomenon called?

Accepted Answer

Overgeneralization

Answer

Overextension

Answer

Hypercorrection

Answer

Underextension