The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (46 page)

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
:

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
: She could go.
Does she could go?

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
:He did eat.
He didn’t eat.

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
:He did a few things.
He didn’t few thing.

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
: He did eat.
Did he eat?

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
: He did a few things.
did he a few thing?

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
: I like going.
He likes going.

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
: I can go.
He cans go.

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
:

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
: I am going.
He ams (
or
be’s) going.

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
: They went to sleep.
They wanted to sleep.

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
: They are sleeping.
They are’d (
or
be’d) sleeping.

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
: He is happy.
He is not happy.

ERROR THAT MIGHT TEMPT A CHILD
: He ate something.
He ate not something.

PATTERN IN ADULT ENGLISH
: He is happy.
Is he happy?