Supplemental Complex Syntax
Coding Practice
Let’s practice coding complex syntax.
We’ll walk you through it!
Karen Barako Arndt & C. Melanie Schuele
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Revised (to correct errors): 10-14-15
This presentation is supplementary digital content that accompanies the publication below. The
copyright for this material is retained by the authors. © Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013.
Barako Arndt, K. & Schuele, C. M. (2013). Multiclausal utterances aren’t just for big kids: A framework
for analysis of complex syntax production in spoken language of preschool- and early school-age
children. Topics in Language Disorders, 33(2), 125-139.
 In this tutorial you will find two language samples
 The first sample is from a typical, 5-year-old male. We have already
identified the utterances that include complex syntax.You will need
to do two things:
 1. Find (and underline) the elements of each utterance that make it complex,
and
 2. Use the complex syntax coding manual and select a complex syntax type (or
types) for each utterance.
 After you have some practice coding, you will be ready to try a
more independent task!
 The second sample is from a typical, 4-year-old male. In this sample
we have NOT identified utterances as complex or not.You will need
to do two things:
 1. Identify which utterances are complex, marking them with a [cs] code, and
 2. Further identify these utterances with the appropriate code from the coding
manual.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Before You Begin
Language Sample 1
 E = Examiner Utterance
 C = Child Utterance
 Goal 1: To determine the elements of a Child Utterance
that make it complex
 Goal 2: To assign a complex syntax type (or types) to each
Child Utterance
 Be sure to refer to Table 3 in Barako Arndt and Schuele
(2013) and further elaboration of the complex syntax coding
system in SDC as you code!
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what/'s the party zone?
C it/'s [concop] a little building thing where there/'s (a) a fun
zone (an*) and bouncer/s (and stuff).
Underline the elements
of the child utterance
that make it complex
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what/'s the party zone?
C it/'s [concop] a little building thing where there/'s (a) a fun
zone (an*) and bouncer/s (and stuff).
PLEASE NOTE:
You did it! Now identify what’s
underlined with a complex
syntax code or codes.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
All utterances with complex
syntax get a [cs] code in our
transcripts. But in this
illustration we do not append
the [cs] code to each utterance
with complex syntax simply to
streamline the presentation;
we show only the complex
syntax type codes.
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what/'s the party zone?
C it/'s [concop] a little building thing where there/'s (a) a fun
zone (an*) and bouncer/s (and stuff) [RC].
Great Job! You might have confused that RC with a WFC, but
take note that the clause is modifying a noun (building thing);
the clause is not an argument of a verb.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what kind of stuff do you like to do with your brothers and
sisters?
C (I like : um) my brother like/3s to play with his starwars
lego/s [p:mhm].
C And my sister like/3s to play with her Barbie stuff.
Let’s underline those
complex elements
again!
E and how do you play that game?
C super si*>
= c related to child's previous utterance.
C (um well um :03 well um) dieseldreaming is where you race
a hot rod.
C and starfishman is where you try to stop a train (and stuff).
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what kind of stuff do you like to do with your brothers and
sisters?
C (I like : um) my brother like/3s to play with his starwars
lego/s [p:mhm].
C and my sister like/3s to play with her Barbie stuff.
You did it! Now
identify what’s
underlined with a
complex syntax code
or codes.
E and how do you play that game?
C super si*>
= c related to child's previous utterance.
C (um well um :03 well um) dieseldreaming is where you race
a hot rod.
C and starfishman is where you try to stop a train (and stuff).
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what kind of stuff do you like to do with your brothers and
sisters?
C (I like : um) my brother like/3s to play with his starwars
lego/s [p:mhm] [SI].
C and my sister like/3s to play with her Barbie stuff [SI].
You’re getting the hang
of this! Remember
E and how do you play that game?
there may be more
C super si*>
than one CS type
= c related to child's previous utterance. within an utterance.
C (um well um :03 well um) dieseldreaming is where you race
a hot rod [NRC].
C and starfishman is where you try to stop a train (and stuff)
[NRC] [SI].
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E [p:mhm] : 03 and can sistername and (um) brothername play
that game with you?
E or do you play by yourself?
C I play by myself.
C But most of all logan help/3s me on the train [p:ohyeah]
because sometimes it can/n't stop the train.
C so that/'s why I have :04 to play video game/s on the floor
with my body.
Time to underline!
E Tell me about your room.
C {mm} my room has stripe/s instead of train/s on it now
since my train one got a little dirty.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E [p:mhm] : 03 and can sistername and (um) brothername play
that game with you or do you play by yourself?
C I play by myself.
C But most of all logan help/3s me on the train [p:ohyeah]
because sometimes it can/n't stop the train.
C so that/'s why I have :04 to play video game/s on the floor
with my body.
You did it! Now identify what’s underlined
with a complex syntax code or codes
E Tell me about your room.
C {mm} my room has stripe/s instead of train/s on it now
since my train one got a little dirty.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E [p:mhm] : 03 and can sistername and (um) brothername play
that game with you or do you play by yourself?
C I play by myself.
C But most of all logan help/3s me on the train [p:ohyeah]
because sometimes it can/n't stop the train [SC].
C so that/'s why I have :04 to play video game/s on the floor
with my body [NRC] [SI].
You’ve got it!!!
E Tell me about your room.
C {mm} my room has stripe/s instead of train/s on it now
since my train one got a little dirty [SC].
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
C {mm} (well) I don't remember where I got him
C But I did remember when I had him.
C (well) if you win you just have to help lady.
Yep, it’s time
again! Underline
the elements of
the child utterance
that make it
complex.
E What happens during morning meeting?
E What do you have to do?
C (well) you just go see my teacher Miss Ragsdale.
C [p:mhm] And we go to the rainbow carpet.
C and we listen to what she says.
C and she tell/3s us what day it is.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
C {mm} (well) I don't remember where I got him
C but I did remember when I had him.
You did it! Now
identify what’s
C (well) if you win you just have to help lady.
underlined with a
Complex Syntax code
E What happens during morning meeting?
or codes
E What do you have to do?
C (well) you just go see my teacher Miss Ragsdale.
C [p:mhm] And we go to the rainbow carpet
C and we listen to what she says.
C and she tell/3s us what day it is.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
C {mm} (well) I don't remember where I got him [WFC].
C but I did remember when I had him [WFC].
C (well) if you win you just have to help lady [SC].
E What
happens
during
morning
meeting?
In the
first and
second
utterances
above there is a production of
EREMEMBER,
What do youa have
to do?
cognitive
state verb that is a complement-taking verb. In
the underlined
dependent
clause a WH
is the complement of
C (well)
you just go
see my teacher
Missclause
Ragsdale.
REMEMBER. REMEMBER is a verb that can take several types of
C [p:mhm] And we go to the rainbow carpet and
complements: remember to eat dinner [si]; remember the meeting is on
we listen
toremember
what she says
[CC]
[NRC]. is [wfc]; remember how to
Monday
[fpc];
where
the meeting
the tell/3s
car [wnfc].
The second
C drive
and she
us what
day it utterance
is [WFC].in this group has the same
complex syntax type as the first.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013); revised 9-30-15
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Now to explain the utterances below. In the first complex utterance, what she says
an NRC (cf.,
the Ithing
she says); the
dependent
occupies
Cis{mm}
(well)
don'tthat
remember
where
I got clause
him but
I did the NP
(noun
phrase) position
an object
of the preposition
remember
when Iashad
him [NRC]
[FPC]. to. In the second complex
utterance, what day it is is a complement of the verb tell. Notice the similarity of
these dependent classes but the different function in the clause - noun position of
aCprepositional
phrase
as ajust
verbhave
complement.
requires two complements
(well) if you
winvs.you
to help TELL
lady [SC].
– an indirect object and a NP or a clause.
E What happens during morning meeting?
E What do you have to do?
C (well) you just go see my teacher Miss Ragsdale.
C [p:mhm] And we go to the rainbow carpet
C and we listen to what she says [NRC].
C and she tell/3s us what day it is [WFC].
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what happened in that one?
C (well) there was a hot wheel movie that I saw.
C <I/'m gonna couple the car/s> while you look for the
track/s.
You know the drill! Underline the elements
of the child utterance that make it complex.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what happened in that one?
C (well) there was a hot wheel movie that I saw.
C <I/'m gonna couple the car/s> while you look for the
track/s.
Last slide to come: Code these
utterances! You can do it!
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
E what happened in that one?
C (well) there was a hot wheel movie that I saw [RC].
C <I/'m gonna couple the car/s> while you look for the
track/s [SC].
Great work!!!
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Before You Begin
Language Sample 2
 e = Examiner Utterance
 c = Child Utterance
 Goal 1: To determine which child utterances have complex
syntax (thus taking the [cs] code).
 Goal 2: To assign a complex syntax type (or types) to each
child utterance that was assigned a [cs] code.
 Be sure to refer to Table 3 in Barako Arndt and Schuele
(2013) and further elaboration of the complex syntax coding
system in the SDC as you code!
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
12 c what do [d] you wanna do?
13 e (well) we're going to play with this house.
14 c (yeah).
15 e (okay) and I am gonna open this up.
16 <and you> can look and see what is inside to put in our house.
17 c <the door op*>>
18 c (this {huh} those xx) xxx else to go on this?
19 = g is this something else to go on this?
20 e (um) look at that thing right beside you.
21 c (um) this go/*3s like this.
22 c (no).
23 c I think I have to put this together [p:mhm].
24 c I can/n't do it.
25 c I need a little help.
26 e you need a little help?
27 e let me see.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
28 e do you want look inside and see what kind of things we have for our
house?
29 c like a fireplace you need.
30 e do you have a fireplace at your house?
32 = c really means yes.
33 c she might stick her hand in.
34 e {oh}.
35 c she/'s [concop] only one.
36 e {oh} she is?
37 c she/'s [concop] only oneandahalf [p:oh].
38 c that/'s [concop] how old she is [unconcop].
39 e do you like having a baby sister?
40 c yeah I want/ed a baby brother [p:oh].
41 c you can/n't always get what you want <> always [p:mhm].
42 e <that is right>.
43 c because^
44 e do you just have one sister?
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
45 c (yeah).
46 e no brothers?
47 c (no).
48 e you're the oldest?
49 c {uhhuh} <I/'m> [concop] four.
50 e [p:yeah].
51 e how do you like being the oldest?
52 c I like it [p:mhm].
53 e what kind of things can you do with your baby sister?
54 c (um) try to teach her some thing/s.
55 e (what do youx*) what do you teach her?
56 c to sit.
57 c and she sit/3s [p:wow] (in) in her chair.
58 e {wow}.
59 c she has [3irr] a very own chair for herself [p:yeah].
60 c and I have one (for my own) [p:yeah] for my very own self for me.
61 e {oh} you have a chair for yourself?
62 c {uhhuh} (I can) I can carry it [p:oh].
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
63 c (it's big eno*) it/'s [concop] really big
64 c and I can carry it.
65 e [p:mhm] you can carry it you must be strong.
66 e how'd you get so strong?
67 c because (this that) [err] personname weigh/ed me I was [unconcop]
like fortyfortypound/s [err].
68 = g because when (omitted) personname weighed me I was like forty
pounds.
69 e the doctors weighed you?
70 c {uhhuh}.
71 e what is like when you go to see the doctor?
72 c (um) they gave [ptirr] me a shot [p:oh].
73 c but I did/n't [d] [ptirr] cry.
74 e (well) you are brave.
75 e why do you think other people cry sometimes?
76 c my baby sister got [ptirr] two.
77 c but I only got [ptirr] one.
78 e {oh} did she cry?
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
79 c twice.
80 e {oh} she cried twice both times when she got shots.
81 c {mm} I don't [d] know.
82 e why do you think she cried?
83 c because she/'s [concop] only oneandahalf.
84 e {oh uhhuh} did you cry when you were one and a half?
85 c yeah when I got [ptirr] a shot [p:mhm] because a really bad one
[p:yeah].
86 c my shot was [concop] right here.
87 e {oh} what happened?
88 e tell me about it?
89 c (um) they gave me a shot
90 c and I did/n't [d] [ptirr] cry [p:uhhuh] at all.
91 e yeah (well) that's good.
92 c {mhm}.
93 e I remember when I was your age, I used to go to the doctor.
94 e and I would hide from the doctors because I would hate to get shots.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
95 e but I am not brave like you.
96 e you are <brave about> getting shots.
97 c <me too>.
98 c (I I) I do too.
99 e what do you do?
100 c hide.
101 e {oh} you hide sometimes when you go to the doctor?
102 e <I know how it is>.
103 c (ok) <I try> to be sneaky.
104 e {oh} where do you hide?
105 c (with) behind my mommy.
106 e {oh} yeah?
107 e and what do they say when you try to hide?
108 e what does your mommy tell you?
109 c I peek out [p:uhuh] really quick, (I) so quick they can/n't even see me
again.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
12 c what do [d] you wanna do?
13 e (well) we're going to play with this house.
14 c (yeah).
15 e (okay) and I am gonna open this up.
16 e <and you> can look and see what is inside to put in our house.
17 c <the door op*>>
18 c (this {huh} those xx) xxx else to go on this?
19 = g is this something else to go on this?
20 e (um) look at that thing right beside you.
21 c (um) this go/*3s like this.
22 c (no).
23 c I think I have to put this together [p:mhm].
24 c I can/n't do it.
25 c I need a little help.
26 e you need a little help?
27 e let me see.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
28 e do you want look inside and see what kind of things we have for our
house?
29 c like a fireplace you need.
30 e do you have a fireplace at your house?
32 = c really means yes.
33 c she might stick her hand in.
34 e {oh}.
35 c she/'s [concop] only one.
36 e {oh} she is?
37 c she/'s [concop] only oneandahalf [p:oh].
38 c that/'s [concop] how old she is [unconcop].
39 e do you like having a baby sister?
40 c yeah I want/ed a baby brother [p:oh].
41 c you can/n't always get what you want <> always [p:mhm].
42 e <that is right>.
43 c because^
44 e do you just have one sister?
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
45 c (yeah).
46 e no brothers?
47 c (no).
48 e you're the oldest?
49 c {uhhuh} <I/'m> [concop] four.
50 e [p:yeah].
51 e how do you like being the oldest?
52 c I like it [p:mhm].
53 e what kind of things can you do with your baby sister?
54 c (um) try to teach her some thing/s.
55 e (what do youx*) what do you teach her?
56 c to sit.
57 c and she sit/3s [p:wow] (in) in her chair.
58 e {wow}.
59 c she has [3irr] a very own chair for herself [p:yeah].
60 c and I have one (for my own) [p:yeah] for my very own self for me.
61 e {oh} you have a chair for yourself?
62 c {uhhuh} (I can) I can carry it [p:oh].
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
63 c (it's big eno*) it/'s [concop] really big
64 c and I can carry it.
65 e [p:mhm] you can carry it you must be strong.
66 e how'd you get so strong?
67 c because (this that) [err] personname weigh/ed me I was
[unconcop] like fortyfortypound/s [err].
68 = g because when (omitted) personname weighed me I was like forty
pounds.
69 e the doctors weighed you?
70 c {uhhuh}.
71 e what is like when you go to see the doctor?
72 c (um) they gave [ptirr] me a shot [p:oh].
73 c but I did/n't [d] [ptirr] cry.
74 e (well) you are brave.
75 e why do you think other people cry sometimes?
76 c my baby sister got [ptirr] two.
77 c but I only got [ptirr] one.
78 e {oh} did she cry?
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
79 c twice.
80 e {oh} she cried twice both times when she got shots.
81 c {mm} I don't [d] know.
82 e why do you think she cried?
83 c because she/'s [concop] only oneandahalf.
84 e {oh uhhuh} did you cry when you were one and a half?
85 c yeah when I got [ptirr] a shot [p:mhm] because a really bad one
[p:yeah].
86 c my shot was [concop] right here.
87 e {oh} what happened?
88 e tell me about it?
89 c (um) they gave me a shot.
90 c and I did/n't [d] [ptirr] cry [p:uhhuh] at all.
91 e yeah (well) that's good.
92 c {mhm}.
93 e I remember when I was your age, I used to go to the doctor.
94 e and I would hide from the doctors because I would hate to get shots.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
95 e but I am not brave like you.
96 e you are <brave about> getting shots.
97 c <me too>.
98 c (I I) I do too.
99 e what do you do?
100 c hide.
101 e {oh} you hide sometimes when you go to the doctor?
102 e <I know how it is>.
103 c (ok) <I try> to be sneaky.
104 e {oh} where do you hide?
105 c (with) behind my mommy.
106 e {oh} yeah?
107 e and what do they say when you try to hide?
108 e what does your mommy tell you?
109 c I peek out [p:uhuh] really quick, (I) so quick they can/n't even
see me again.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Lines with Complex Syntax
 18, 23, 29, 38, 41, 54, 56, 67, 83, 85, 103, 109
 Notes:
 Line 17: Code this utterance, even though it is partially intelligible.
What is intelligible indicates an instance of complex syntax.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
 18 c (this {huh} those xx) xxx else to go on this [cs] [si]?
 23 c I think I have to put this together [p:mhm] [cs] [fpc] [si].
 THINK is a cognitive state verb that takes a clausal complement. HAVE
is a complement taking verb with to put as the infinitival complement.
 29 c like a fireplace you need [cs] [rc].
 This is an object relative clause attached to an isolated noun phrase.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
 38 c that/'s [concop] how old she is [unconcop] [cs] [nrc].
 There is no cognitive state verb; there is no head noun. This is a nominal
relative clause. This sentence structures is a common form for [nrc] – That
is followed by an NRC. The nominal relative clause is a subject
complement, according to Quirk et al.
 41 c you can/n't always get what you want <> always [p:mhm] [cs]
[nrc].
 Get requires a direct object, typically a noun (e.g., I got the book). Here a
nominal relative clause is in the direct object position. With a nominal
relative clause, you should be able to restate it as a relative clause with a
general noun, for example, you can’t always get the thing that you want.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
 54 c (um) try to teach her some thing/s [cs] [si].
 In this utterance, the child has produce an infinitival clause, but the
complement taking verb was not produced.
 56 c to sit [cs] [si].
 In this utterance, the infinitival complement appears alone. There is no
complement taking verb. The infinitival complement is produced
contingent on the previous adult utterance.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
 67 c because (this that) [err] personname weigh/ed me I was
[unconcop] like fortyfortypound/s [err] [cs] [sc] [sc].
 In this utterance, it is critical that the gloss (see on slide 30 and repeated
below) is examined when coding complex syntax.
68 = g because when (omitted) personname weighed me I was like forty
pounds.
 Although only one subordinate conjunction is apparent in the utterance,
the gloss indicates that the other subordinate conjunction (i.e., when) was
omitted (in error) by the child. Even though there is an error, we code
complexity and simultaneously note the error.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
83 c because she/'s [concop] only oneandahalf [cs] [sc].
 [sc] is coded when there is only one clause with the subordinate
conjunction (as with this utterances) as well as when there is the
dependent clause along with the main clause (i.e., a complete sentence).
.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
 85 c yeah when I got [ptirr] a shot [p:mhm] because [err] a really bad
one [p:yeah] [cs] [sc] [sc].
 This is another utterance where the gloss line is important to get the right
codes inserted. Unfortunately, the transcriber did not include a gloss for
this utterance. So we’ll generate a hypothetical gloss
= g yeah when I got a shot because it was a really bad one
 We include two [sc] codes. One for the correctly produced subordinate
conjunction clause (when I got a shot) and one for the attempted
subordinate conjunction clause in which the child omitted the subject and
verb. This pattern might be found to be consistent – omitting clausal
elements when attempting to produce dependent clauses.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
Complex Syntax types, line by line
 103 c (ok) <I try> to be sneaky [cs] [si].
 109 c I peek out [p:uhuh] really quick, (I) so quick they can/n't
even see me again [cs] [other].
 The complex syntax in this utterance does not align with any of our
categories. Based on Quirk et al., this complex syntax seems to be a
sentential complement. We code it as [other]. Recall that very few of the
complex syntax tokens in our research language samples have been
assigned to the [other] category. This utterances is a great example to
illustrate that our coding system does not capture all complex syntax
produced by preschoolers, but it does capture the overwhelming
majority.
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
In Conclusion
 After completing this practice, you should be better able to




determine the elements of a child utterance that make it complex.
You should also be better able to assign a complex syntax type (or
types) to each child utterance.
Recognizing the presence of complex syntax is the first step, and
with practice, you will be better able to both recognize and code
complex syntax in child utterances!
Be sure to refer to Table 3 in Barako Arndt and Schuele (2013)
and the complex syntax coding system in SDC as you continue to
code!
Questions?? Email languagelab@vanderbilt.edu
SDC for Barako Arndt & Schuele (2013)
© Barako Arndt & Schuele, 2013;
languagelab@vanderbilt.edu