Question

Although all reconstructions of the origins of syntax are speculative, such speculations can, in light of the known facts of syntax development in children, be rated as more or less probable.

In view of these considerations, the most likely first syntactic distinction would have been that between ____________ and ___________ .
a. adverb / reverb
b. prefix / suffix
c. independent phrase / dependent clause
d. subject / verb
e. pronoun / adjective

Answer 1

The most likely first syntactic distinction would have been that between subject and verb, which aligns with primary structures in language acquisition by children.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is about the origins of syntax and the most likely initial syntactic distinction in language development. Taking into account how children develop language skills and considering various linguistic theories, the most probable first syntactic distinction would have been that between subject and verb. These two elements are fundamental to forming basic sentence structures, which are essential for communicating even the simplest of ideas. A subject is typically a noun or pronoun that indicates what the sentence is about, while a verb indicates the action or state of being of the subject. This distinction is foundational in the emergence of structured communication and is observed in the language acquisition stages of young children.