modality/gerund

[Annick.DeHouwer]

On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, elma blom wrote:

> Can anybody help me with one of the following questions (or perhaps both)?
>
> 1. How do English speaking children (in particular between 2-3 years old)
> express their wishes, needs, desires and intentions? Are there, for
> example, studies on the use of verb forms like "gonna" and "wanna"?
>
> 2. Do English speaking children (2-3 years old) use the gerund (V-ing)? I
> would also appreciate any references on this topic.
>
Chapter 7 part 7.4. of my book The acquisition of two languages from
birth, 1990, Cambridge University Press, gives information on the use of
WANNA/WANT TO, GONNA/GOING TO and the gerund by an English
speaking child aged 2;7-3;4.

--Annick De Houwer