Does it count as a sentance if it's 2 words long?

[ShadowStorm]

Just that really.

DS is 21 months, and for the last few weeks, has started putting together 2 words - words he's used on their own before - into little sentances. i.e. "bye-bye daddy", "more cheese"

My dad says that these don't count as sentances because sentances are longer than 2 words put together. Is he right?

He's wrong. That's a sentence.

I would say its a statement rather than a sentence but it is still great for his age

He's wrong

x-posted there

At school I was taught that "Jesus wept" is the shortest sentence in the bible and that's only two words.

Sentences need verbs. Sentences can certainly be two words (or less - 'Help' could be regarded as a sentence) but the things you list above are more like word combinations or phrases. He's probably making sentences as well though. Fantastic phase - he's very advanced :)

It might.

It depends.

Sometimes, yes.

Sometimes, no.

Opinions vary.

Dd2 had 'up go' when wanting to get out of high chair

I am not being rude but why does it matter? Are you worried about your baby's development?

The first sentences are the two words ones. My Lo is at this stage at the moment, so sweet, isn't it. :)

It doesn't really matter, Themobstersknife

Just wondering whether me or my dad was right about it counting as a sentence! (or not)

I guess even if it's more of a phrase or a statement than a sentence, it's a starting point though

Yes, absolutely!

It's a sentence, I would say, if the words are used independently and not learnt as a phrase.

For example, ds would say "me too" at an early age. But it was learnt as a phrase from dd2, what he really meant was "metoo" is a word that says "I want it too." He didn't use "me" or "too" at that point separately.
When he said "me do" later then that was a sentence because he'd taken the word "me" and put it with the word "do" to tell me he wanted to do it himself.

Hope that makes sense.

They're not sentences because sentences need a subject and a verb.

Jesus Wept.

(being the most famous example!)

I believe technically they're called interjections.

They're pretty good though!

Teach me to read all posts and not just the OP before repeating others

I have a friend who is a speech therapist who says a good rule of thumb re speech is 1 word by 1, 2 words by 2, sentences by 3.

(as in being strung together, not total words known!) I think she makes a distinction between 2 words and longer sentences if that helps?

So I think your lo is doing well. Agree with DeWe about early sentences being learned though. Get Down was the favourite in our house!

A sentence has to have a verb in it. So it could just be one word like "go!" But that's beside the point when talking really as the idea of sentences is only relevant for written language. Your son is using a 2-word expression where each word has a distinct meaning, so he knows that more means one thing and cheese means another. He has learned to put them together to mean something very specific, which is brilliant!

What dewe said, my 14month old says 'all gone' and 'fix it' but to her these are one word she isn't taking two words and putting them together. I do count 'oh oh shoe' as her putting words together, as she uses oh oh and shoe separately (oh oh means she's dropped something)

Does it matter? Just be proud your kid is very clever haha. My son was counting from 1 to 10 at 16 months and was putting sentences together by 21months as well so yes I think it doesn't matter how many words they put together but rather you can see his taught process being fast and that's something. My sons newest and favourite sentence this week is "of course I can" lol :D