| Structure | Description | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | Proper noun, common noun (Lexical: different N) |
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| N2 | Pronoun, functioning as an entire noun phrase [Cannot be functioning as modifier] (Lexical: different pronoun) |
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| N3 | Modifier, including adjectives (including predicate adjectives), possessives, quantifiers (Lexical: different modifier) |
NOT: Modifier in isolation (e.g., this) that child could be using as pronoun | |
| N4 | Two-word (or longer) NP (Phrasal: one or both words of NP different) |
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| N5 | Article, used before a noun Article need not be directly before the noun as long as both are part of the same noun phrase. (Lexical: different article. Or phrasal: different NP) |
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| N6 | Two-word (or longer) NP (as in N4) after verb or preposition There can be intervening structures between the verb and noun phrase. (Phrasal: different NP) |
N4 | |
| N7 | Plural suffix [Words that are never used in the singular, although they end in -s and “look” plural, e.g., pants, are not credited] (Context: different N) |
N1 | ONLY as 2nd exemplar: words that are usually pluralized, e.g., blocks, grapes. |
| N8 | Two-word (or longer) NP before verb There can be intervening structures between the NP and verb. (Phrasal: different NP) |
N4 | |
| N9 | Three word (or longer) NP (Det/Mod + Mod + N) (Phrasal: different NP) |
N4 | NOT: lots of toys; conjoined nouns, e.g., Mom and Dad, the boy and the girl. |
| N10 | Adverb modifying adjective or pronoun (Lexical: different adverb) |
V8 | NOT: alldone and allgone; right (t)here; yes, yup, yeah Although not is an adverb, credit Q3 instead. |
| N11 | Any other bound morpheme on N or adjective (Lexical: different bound morpheme) |
ONLY as 2nd exemplar: -y suffix (e.g., nutty, sleepy, stinky) NOT: compounds (e.g., blackboard, seatbelt). |
|
| N12 | (N12 is eliminated) | ||
| V1 | Verb (Lexical: different V) |
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| V2 | Particle or preposition (Lexical: different particle or preposition) |
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| V3 | Prepositional phrase (Preposition + NP) (Phrasal: different PP) |
V2 | |
| V4 | Copula linking two nominals or a nominal and a predicate adjective (Lexical: different form of copula. Or structural: same copula with different structure) |
V1 | ONLY as 2nd exemplar: Contracted is (’s): e.g., He’s silly. NOT: How are you? |
| V5 | Catenative (pseudo-auxiliary) preceding a verb (Lexical: different aux or main V) |
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| V6 | Auxiliary BE, DO, HAVE Note that contraction of auxiliary is okay (Lexical: different aux or main V) |
V5 | NOT: “don't + V” unless do/does/did auxiliary used. |
| V7 | Progressive suffix (only when used as verb in sentence) Okay in isolation if judged to be a verb. [-ing words used as adjectives, e.g., a swimming pool, or -ing words used as nouns, e.g., Swimming is fun, are not credited here. For the latter, credit S18.] (Context: -ing added to different V) |
V1 | |
| V8 | Adverb Can modify preposition and conjunction as well as verb. (Lexical: different adverb) |
NOT: alldone and allgone (young children typically see them as one unit); I think so; (t)here; yes, yup, yeah Although not is an adverb, credit Q3 instead. |
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| V9 | Any one-word modal preceding a verb (Lexical: different modal. Or context: different V following modal) |
V5 | |
| V10 | Third-person singular present tense suffix (-s/-es suffix on verb) [Words such as does and says, which look like they have the third-person -s but are irregular in their pronunciation, are excluded. Can be accepted only if child pronounces word as verb root plus -s, e.g., “dooz” (for does), “saze” (for says).] (Context: suffix added to different V) |
V1 | |
| V11 | Past tense modal: would, could, should, might (Lexical: different past tense modal. Or context: different V following modal) |
V9 | |
| V12 | Regular past tense suffix Suffix must be on main verb of a clause with no auxiliary verb. [Words with -ed suffixes are sometimes used as adjectives, e.g., He's scared; these are not credited as V12.] (Context: different V) |
V1 | |
| V13 | Past tense of BE, DO, or HAVE auxiliary (Lexical: different aux. Or context: different V following aux) |
V6 | |
| V14 | “Medial” adverb (adverb in middle of clause, typically before verb) (Lexical: different adverb) |
V8 | NOT: alldone and allgone; yes, yup, yeah Although not is an adverb, credit Q3 instead. |
| V15 | Copula (C), modal (M), or auxiliary (A) used for ellipsis Note: Credit any/all structures in the credit column that are relevant (Lexical: different copula, modal, form of DO or HAVE. Or structural: different clause) |
V4-C V6-A, V9-Ma |
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| V16 | Past tense copula: was, were (Lexical: different form of copula. Or structural: same copula in different clause) |
V4 | |
| V17 | Any bound morpheme on verb or on adjective (to make adverb); must be a morpheme type that is not credited on any other IPSyn item. [Words like hardly, really, repeat, butter, number, etc., look like they have a familiar prefix or suffix (e.g., -ly, re-, -er, as in quickly, rewrite, taller) but the “suffixes” cannot be segmented out.] (Lexical: different root word or different bound morpheme) |
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| Q1 | Intonationally marked question (Structural: different Q) |
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| Q2 | Routine question with or without a verb, or wh- pronoun alone (Structural: different Q) |
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| Q3 | Simple negation (neg + X): neg = no(t), can't, don't; X = NP, VP, PP, Adj, Adv, etc. [The no cannot be an answer to a yes/no question; it must be negating something.] (Structural: different simple negation) |
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| Q4 | Question with an initial wh- question word followed by verb; other words can intervene between the wh- question word and the verb. (Lexical: different wh- question word. Or structural) |
Q1 Q2 |
If verb in 1st exemplar is DO or GO, 2nd exemplar can be neither DO nor GO NOT: What's this? What's that? Allow: What is this? What is that? |
| Q5 | Negative morpheme (n't, no, not) between subject and verb Note that contraction of not (n't) is okay. (Lexical: different negative morpheme. Or phrasal: different VP) |
Q3 | ONLY as 2nd exemplar: I dunno/nunno/don't know |
| Q6 |
Wh- question with inverted modal, copula, or auxiliary BE, DO, or HAVE. Sentence must have main verb. Exclude wh- word in subject position because no opportunity for inversion, e.g., What is happening? (Phrasal: different VP) |
Q4 | If verb in 1st exemplar is DO or GO, 2nd exemplar can be neither DO nor GO NOT: What's this/that? What is this/that? How are you? |
| Q7 | Negation of copula, modal, or auxiliary BE, DO, or HAVE. Sentence must have main verb. (Phrasal: different VP) |
Q5 | NOT: I dunno/nunno/don't know. If verb in 1st exemplar is DO or GO, 2nd exemplar can be neither DO nor GO |
| Q8 | Yes/no question with inverted modal, copula, or auxiliary BE, DO, or HAVE (Structural: different relevant question) |
Q1 Q2 |
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| Q9 |
Why, when, which, whose used as a question word (not as a conjunction) (Lexical: different question word taken from list) |
Q1 | |
| Q10 | Tag question, with tag containing verb and subject (Phrasal: different tag) |
Q1 Q2 |
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| Q11 | Question with negation AND inverted copula/modal/auxiliary BE, DO, or HAVE Sentence must have main verb. (Structural: different relevant Q) |
Q6 Q7 Q8 |
NOT: Tag question with negative tag, e.g., I need that, don't I? Credit Q10 instead |
| S1 | Two-word combination (Lexical: at least one different word) |
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| S2 | Subject–verb sequence (Phrasal: different sequence) |
S1 | |
| S3 | Verb–object sequence (Phrasal: different sequence) |
S1 | |
| S4 | Subject–verb–object sequence [Predicate adjectives, e.g., It is red, are not objects] (Phrasal: different sequence) |
S2 S3 |
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| S5 | Conjunction (Lexical: different conjunction) |
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| S6 | Sentence with two verbs Verbs cannot be auxiliary verbs. (Phrasal: different VP) |
S1 | |
| S7 | Phrases joined by a coordinating conjunction (Phrasal) |
S1 S5 |
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| S8 | Infinitive: to + verb; there must also be a main verb (Lexical: different infinitive V) |
S6 V5 |
NOT: Phonologically simplified forms, e.g., gotta, gonna, hafta, wanna, oughta, before infinitive verb |
| S9 |
Let/Make/Help/Watch introducer. There needs to be a second verb after the let/make/help/watch introducer. [Nonimperative forms: e.g., “That makes me think about him,” do not credit S9.] (Structural) |
S6 | |
| S10 | Subordinating conjunction. Must begin a clause. (Lexical: different subordinating conjunction) |
S5 | |
| S11 | Mental state verb or verb of communication followed by a nominal clause acting as its object. The nominal clause has that as its subordinating conjunction (not a wh- conjunction); the that is optional. (Structural: different subordinate [nominal] clause) |
S6 | |
| S12 | Conjoined clauses, each of which can stand alone. Conjunction must be present. Both clauses must have a subject and verb; however, if first or second clause is imperative, you may be understood. [If if can be replaced by whether, credit S13 rather than S12.] (Structural: different conjoined clauses) |
S5 S6 |
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| S13 |
If clause or nominal wh- clause [If if cannot be replaced by whether, credit S12 rather than S13.] (Structural: different if or wh- clause) |
S6 S10 |
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| S14 | Bitransitive predicate (same thing as dative) The indirect object can be placed either before or after the direct object. (Structural) |
S3 | ONLY as 2nd exemplar: Gimme that |
| S15 | Sentence with 3 or more verbs. May include infinitive but cannot include auxiliary verbs. (Structural) |
S6 | |
| S16 | Relative clause, marked or unmarked (Structural: different relative clause) |
S6 | |
| S17 | Infinitive clause; subject of infinitive clause must be different from subject of immediately preceding verb. (Structural: different infinitive clause) |
S8 | |
| S18 | Gerund: verb + -ing used as a noun phrase. Sentence must also have main verb. (Lexical: different gerund. Or structural: different clause) |
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| S19 | Fronted or center-embedded subordinate clause (Structural: different subordinate clause) |
S6 | |
| S20 | Full or truncated passive construction; or tag comment/intrusion containing a clause [Do not credit a classic tag question here (i.e., one based on the structure of the main sentence, for example: She was working, wasn't she?); credit Q10 instead. (Structural) |
S11 a |
Note. This table has heavily drawn upon material from within: “Index of Productive Syntax,” by H. Scarborough, 1990, Applied Psycholinguistics, 11(1), pp. 1–22 © Cambridge University Press 1990, published by Cambridge University Press, reproduced with permission. Criteria for 2nd exemplars are indicated in parentheses at the end of each item's description. Grammatical information designed to help the novice user is included in square brackets under “Description.” The “Notes” column specifies exclusions and 1st exemplar restrictions. IPSyn-R = revised Index of Productive Syntax; N = noun; NP = noun phrase; Q = question; neg = negative; VP = verb phrase; adj = adjective; adv = adverb; V = verb; aux = auxiliary; PP = prepositional phrase; Det = determiner; Mod = modifier.
a
Credit relevant exemplars only.