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Pre-school children's use of the articles in definite and indefinite referring expressions*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Hazel C. Emslie  and
Rosemary J. Stevenson
Hazel C. Emslie
Affiliation:
University of Durham
Rosemary J. Stevenson
Affiliation:
University of Durham
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Abstract

Three experiments investigated the ability of children aged 2; 2–4; 10 to use identifying expressions to introduce new referents and the definite article to refer to already introduced referents. The results suggest that young children initially master the nominative use of a, but that from the age of 3 they have mastered the non-egocentric use of the definite article. On first mention their referring expressions are predominantly indefinite, and on second mention definite. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies, and the questions of suitable adult controls and ‘appropriateness’ of article usage are also considered.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , June 1981 , pp. 313 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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References

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