1. Word order:
* Telegraphic Speech: Toddlers often use two-word phrases like "want juice," "mommy go," or "doggie bark." This indicates they understand the basic subject-verb-object order of sentences.
* Subject-Verb Agreement: Even if not fully formed, toddlers may show an awareness of subject-verb agreement, using singular verbs for singular subjects and plural verbs for plural subjects, even if they don't use the correct forms yet (e.g., "He eat" vs. "He eats").
2. Morpheme Use:
* Plurals: Toddlers start using plural forms, often with overgeneralization ("mouses" instead of "mice"), showing they understand the concept of plurality.
* Possessives: They use possessive forms like "Mommy's car" or "doggy's bone," demonstrating an understanding of ownership.
* Past Tense: They might use past tense markers like "-ed" or "-ing," even with errors ("goed" instead of "went").
3. Sentence Structure:
* Negation: Toddlers use phrases like "no want" or "don't go," showing they understand how to negate sentences.
* Questions: They ask simple questions like "Where ball?" or "What doing?" indicating they're developing the ability to form questions.
* Simple Sentences: They begin to construct basic sentences with a subject and predicate, even if they lack all the correct grammatical elements.
4. Pronoun Use:
* Personal Pronouns: Toddlers begin to use personal pronouns like "I," "me," "you," and "he" to refer to themselves and others.
* Object Pronouns: They start using object pronouns like "me" and "him" correctly in sentences.
5. Contextual Understanding:
* Understanding Intonation: Toddlers learn to use different intonations for questions and statements, even if they don't always use the correct grammatical structure.
* Following Instructions: They understand and follow simple instructions, showing they're able to comprehend spoken language and respond appropriately.
It's important to remember that toddler grammar is constantly evolving. They often make mistakes and overgeneralize rules. However, their gradual development of these grammatical features provides evidence of their growing linguistic competence.