Syntactical Development

Development of a child's ability to create grammatical constructions by arranging words in an approprite order.

One-word stage: 12-18 months
Child speaks single-word utterances 'milk', 'mummy'.
Groups of words may be used as a single unit 'allgone'.
In many situations, the words simply sserve a naming function.
Holophrases - single words or phrases that convey more complex messages.
'juice' - to mean: 'I want some juice' or 'I've spilt some juice'. Context, intonation and gesture helop the caregiver to understand the meaning of the holophrase.
Although the child's utterances are limited, their understanding of syntax is more advanced. Evidence - children at the one-word stage can understand and respond to two-word instructions e.g. 'kiss mummy'.

Two-word stage: 18 months
Two-word utterances begin to appear. Usually grammatically correct sequence. Common contructions: 'Daddy sleep', 'Draw birdie', 'Suzy juice', 'Daddy busy'. When repeating an adult, children often omit elements, such as articles and auxiliaries, but verbs retain correct order:
'Look, Ben's playing in the garden'
'Play garden'
Utterances focus on key words: Grammatical function words, such as determiners and prepositions are commonly omitted as they carry less important information.
Meanings of two-word utterances: range of complex meanings can be expressed.
Possession: 'Mummy car'
Action: 'Paul eat'
Location: 'Teddy bed'
The scope for ambugiuty (a word or phrase that had more than one meaning) arises at this stage because of the omission on inflectional affixes.
Commonly possessive and plural 's' and past tense 'ed' are absent.

Telegraphic stage: 2 - 2 and a half years
Three and four-word utterances begin to be produced. Some will be grammaitcally complete...'Lucy likes tea', 'teddy is tired'. Other utterances will have grammatical elements missing...'Daddy home now', 'Where Joe going?'
Like a telegram, they include key words, but omit elements such as determiners, auxiliary verbs and prepositions.
A wider range of structures will be used. Questions (interrogatives), commands (imperatives).