Which stage is associated with the development of the regular plural morphology like 'toys'?

Which stage is associated with the development of the regular plural morphology like 'toys'?

• A. Stage I
• B. Stage II
• C. Stage III
• D. Stage IV

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is when a child starts using a regular plural suffix to mark more than one on nouns. Attaching -s to a word like toy to make toys shows the child is beginning to apply a productive grammatical rule, not just relying on context or memorized phrases. In typical early language development, this regular plural form appears in Brown’s Stage II, usually around ages two to three and when the child’s utterances show a simple grammatical structure. It’s the point where the plural suffix becomes a consistent pattern the child uses across many nouns, rather than being limited to a few familiar words. Before this stage, the child may not mark plurals consistently; after this stage, other morphemes and more complex forms are acquired, but the first clear sign of regular plural marking is Stage II.

The idea being tested is when a child starts using a regular plural suffix to mark more than one on nouns. Attaching -s to a word like toy to make toys shows the child is beginning to apply a productive grammatical rule, not just relying on context or memorized phrases.

In typical early language development, this regular plural form appears in Brown’s Stage II, usually around ages two to three and when the child’s utterances show a simple grammatical structure. It’s the point where the plural suffix becomes a consistent pattern the child uses across many nouns, rather than being limited to a few familiar words. Before this stage, the child may not mark plurals consistently; after this stage, other morphemes and more complex forms are acquired, but the first clear sign of regular plural marking is Stage II.