When a child applies the plural form to irregular words as in 'foots' instead of 'feet', this is an example of which phenomenon?

When a child applies the plural form to irregular words as in 'foots' instead of 'feet', this is an example of which phenomenon?

• A. Morphological Rules
• B. Overregularizations
• C. Private Speech
• D. Telegraphic Speech

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is overregularization, a normal step in how children learn language. Kids acquire a general rule for forming plurals by adding -s to most nouns. When they encounter irregular words like feet, they apply that same rule and say foots. That shows they’re internalizing the pattern and testing it widely, even though they haven’t yet learned the exceptions. It’s not about private speech or a two-word telegraphic stage; it specifically reflects applying a learned rule to words that don’t fit it.

The main idea here is overregularization, a normal step in how children learn language. Kids acquire a general rule for forming plurals by adding -s to most nouns. When they encounter irregular words like feet, they apply that same rule and say foots. That shows they’re internalizing the pattern and testing it widely, even though they haven’t yet learned the exceptions. It’s not about private speech or a two-word telegraphic stage; it specifically reflects applying a learned rule to words that don’t fit it.