Which stage of language acquisition is characterized by children first learning words and combining them into two-word utterances?

• A. One-word stage
• B. Two-word stage
• C. Telegraphic stage
• D. Fully developed stage

Answer: (B)

This phase shows when children start linking words together to express simple ideas, marking the emergence of basic syntax. Around the second year, kids move from single words to two-word utterances like “mommy go” or “more juice,” showing they understand that words can be combined to convey meaning and order matters. These two-word combinations come before longer, more complex sentences and after the earlier one-word stage where a single word carries the whole message. This is the moment when language begins to take on a more structured, rule-governed form, even though the expressions are still brief and often omit small function words.