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The made-up creature that proved how kids learn grammar.

In 1958, Jean Berko showed children aged 4 to 7 a drawing: 'This is a wug.' Then two of them: 'Now there are two …' Most said 'wugs'. Since nobody had ever heard the word, they couldn't have memorised it. Children learn rules, not just words.

Useful: When a child says 'goed' instead of 'went', they're correctly applying a rule.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

GrammatikKinderSpracherwerb

Difficulty:

Question on this card

What did the wug test prove?

  1. Children only imitate adults
  2. Children apply grammar rules to new words
  3. Children don't learn plurals
  4. Children invent their own words
Show the answer

Correct: Children apply grammar rules to new words

Nobody could have memorised 'wugs'; it results from a rule.

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