title: The use of conjunctions by children with typical language development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the use of conjunctions in the spontaneous speech of three years old children with typical language development, who live in Santa Maria - RS.
  
  
  METHODS
  45 children, aged 3:0;0 - 3:11;29 (years:months;days) from the database of the Center for the Study of Language and Speech (CELF) participated of this study. The spontaneous speech of each child was transcribed and followed by analysis of the samples to identify the types of conjunctions for each age group. The samples were statistically analyzed using the R software that allowed the evaluation of the number and type of conjunctions used in each age group by comparing them with each other.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data indicated that the higher the age of the child, the greater the number of types of conjunctions used by them. The comparison between age groups showed significant differences when comparing the average number of conjunctions per age group, as well as for additive conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At age of three the children begin to develop the grammatical use of conjunctions, early appearing additive, adversative and explanatory coordinating conjunctions, and at 3:6 they are able to use the most complex conjunctions, as subordinating conjunctions.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM - Santa Maria (RS), Brasil.
authors.forename: Yasmin Alves Leão
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Glória
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM - Santa Maria (RS), Brasil.
authors.forename: Letícia Pessota
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Hanauer
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM - Santa Maria (RS), Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Marafiga
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wiethan
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM - Santa Maria (RS), Brasil.
authors.forename: Letícia Arruda
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nóro
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM - Santa Maria (RS), Brasil.
authors.forename: Helena Bolli
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Mota
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001072:Apraxias / Q000175:diagnosis; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D007807:Language Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014825:Vocabulary