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The acquisition of the passive voice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Brian J. Baldie
Brian J. Baldie
Affiliation:
Macquarie University
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Abstract

The study was aimed at determining the average ages at which children imitate (I), produce (P) and comprehend (C) passive constructions. The results were compared with those obtained from partial studies of the acquisition of the passive voice conducted by researchers such as Fraser, Bellugi & Brown (1963). The finding that imitation precedes comprehension which in turn precedes production (I > C > P), as reported by Fraser et al. (1963) for 12 three-year-olds, is confirmed in this study for children from 3; 0 to 8; 0. The ability to use the passive voice in various tasks was found to be generally greater than that suggested in previous studies.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , October 1976 , pp. 331 - 348
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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