3V0550.01 [is a stairs] (7/26/79)

Recently Peggy has been using the phrase “Is a X”. This use has been in
a context we would interpret as declaring the identification of a thing.
It may not mean that to Peggy. It may mean that and other things as
well, as this observation suggests.

I recently refinished a picnic table and assembled it in the basement.
Gretchen brought Peggy down with her when she came to see it. As we
adults talked for a while, Peggy toddled off down the hall. ” Hey Peggy.
Where you goin’ ?” I queried. [is a stairs] she replied.

IMPORTANCE
This appears to be another example of an utterance whose non-
standard use implies a significant lack of distinction. Does Peggy have
only one phrase in her repertoire for question answering ? Does she
recognize only one question ? What might that be like ? “What are you
focused on now ?” To which her [is a X] is frequently the anticipated
answer.

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