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Want-Constructions as Non-Canonical Imperatives: A Case Study of a Bilingual English–Russian Child with Pronoun Reversal
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Want-Constructions as Non-Canonical Imperatives: A Case Study of a Bilingual English–Russian Child with Pronoun Reversal

Elena Gavruseva
Languages (Basel), Vol.11(9), 196
09/20/2026
DOI: 10.3390/languages11090196
url
https://doi.org/10.3390/languages11090196View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

This article presents a longitudinal case study of want-constructions in an English–Russian bilingual child whose early language was characterized by prolonged pronoun reversal (i.e., using you for self-reference). The analysis focuses on want-constructions used during a period in which canonical English imperatives were not documented (e.g., want tear it). Drawing on detailed diary records (ages 2;8–5;5), the study examines the morphosyntactic forms of these constructions and their discourse–pragmatic functions. The findings show that the child used want-constructions to express a range of directive meanings, including requests, prohibitions, and counterfactual wishes. Their morphosyntax became increasingly complex over time, with the emergence of overt matrix subjects, infinitival marking, and verbal morphology. However, greater morphosyntactic complexity did not automatically trigger adult-like subject-control relations in complements of want; the interpretation of null embedded subjects often remained dependent on discourse context. The study argues that volitional want-predicates served as a lexically anchored alternative to canonical imperatives during a period of pronoun reversal. Their development may reflect the interaction of discourse-functional, usage-based, and crosslinguistic factors. The findings highlight the need to investigate the development of directive strategies in both bilingual and monolingual children with pronoun reversals.

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