Causative Alternations of Children with Specific Language Impairment.

This study evaluated the ability of 21 children (ages 5 and 6) with specific language impairment (SLI) to use verbs which can alternate between transitive and intransitive contexts to indicate or relinquish cause. SLI children were proficient in lexically alternating verbs, yet provided fewer passive and periphrastic constructions and more different verbs and adjectival responses. (Author/DB)