What semantic-syntactic construction does the child demonstrate with the utterance "No kitty"?

What semantic-syntactic construction does the child demonstrate with the utterance "No kitty"?

• A. Disappearance
• B. Denial
• C. Possessor + possession
• D. Attribute + entity

Answer: (B)

The utterance "No kitty" demonstrates a semantic-syntactic construction that indicates denial. In this context, the child is possibly responding to a situation involving a cat or addressing the presence or existence of a cat. The word "no" serves to negate the existence or presence of the kitty, suggesting the child is asserting or denying something related to it. In contrast, other options do not fit this scenario well. For instance, "disappearance" suggests that something was present and is now gone, while "possession" would involve indicating ownership, such as "my kitty," which isn't captured by just saying "No kitty." The "attribute + entity" construction would entail describing a specific characteristic of an entity, like saying "big kitty" or "fluffy kitty," which is also not represented in the child's utterance. Hence, the focus on negation aligns clearly with the assertion made in "No kitty," making denial the appropriate construction in this instance.

The utterance "No kitty" demonstrates a semantic-syntactic construction that indicates denial. In this context, the child is possibly responding to a situation involving a cat or addressing the presence or existence of a cat. The word "no" serves to negate the existence or presence of the kitty, suggesting the child is asserting or denying something related to it.

In contrast, other options do not fit this scenario well. For instance, "disappearance" suggests that something was present and is now gone, while "possession" would involve indicating ownership, such as "my kitty," which isn't captured by just saying "No kitty." The "attribute + entity" construction would entail describing a specific characteristic of an entity, like saying "big kitty" or "fluffy kitty," which is also not represented in the child's utterance. Hence, the focus on negation aligns clearly with the assertion made in "No kitty," making denial the appropriate construction in this instance.