Abstract

COLOMA, Carmen Julia; PENALOZA, Christian  and  REYES FERNANDEZ. Production of complex sentences in 8 and 10 year-old children. RLA [online]. 2007, vol.45, n.1, pp. 33-44. ISSN 0718-4883.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-48832007000100003.

This study was designed to contribute with new information about complex syntax development in Spanish-speaking children. 30 children with 8 years and 29 children with 10 years participate in the study retelling 3 different stories. The narrative samples were analysed in order to identify complex sentences and the type of clauses (nominal, adverbial and adjective). The results showed grater syntactic complexity in children with 10 years. The evidence suggests the existence of complex syntax development in children between 8 years and 10 years.

Keywords : Syntactic development; complex syntax; complex sentences.