asking questions

questions understood by children from an early age
- present in holophrastic & two-word stages
  - only identifiable through gestures, rising intonation, context
  - two-word stage: ‘wh’ questions develop (“where daddy” etc.)

wh-questions:

what —> object/idea/action
where? —> place
why? —> reason
when? —> time
who? —> person
how? —> manner

telagraphic & post-telegraphic stages = able to use more complicated versions of questions
- primary auxilary and modal auxiliary verbs
- copula verbs start to be used
- beginning to learn that they can invert the syntax of a statement to make a question

stages of question development:

stage 1 (2-3 words):
- yes/no:
  - sit chair?
  - jamie water?
- wh-questions:
  - what that?
  - where mama?
  - what doing?
  - who that?
stage 2 (2-4 words):
- yes/no:
  - see my doggie?
  - that black too?
  - i have it?
  - you can’t fix it?
- wh-questions:
  - what me think?
  - why you smiling?
  - where me sleep?
  - why no me drink it?
stage 3 (4+ words):
- yes/no:
  - does lions walk?
  - will you help me?
  - can’t you work this thing?
  - oh, did i caught it?
- wh-questions
  - where my spoon goed?
  - why the tree going?
  - why kitty can’t stand up?
  - what i did yesterday?