This study investigates the role of input, both in terms of distri butional tendencies and contexts of use, in the acquisition of tense-aspect morphology. Longitudinal data from three children, with mother's input for only one, constitute the data base. Results showed that (1) the distribution of different inflections with verbs of different inherent aspect in the child's speech corresponds to that in the mother's speech, (2) the child has stronger preferences for, and first uses the past inflection with, achievement and the present/imperfective inflection with activity and stative verbs. Findings suggest that input and universal cognitive-processing strategies play an interactive role. The nature of this interaction is discussed by considering how mother-child discourse provides the situational and linguistic contexts necessary for learning to talk about temporality.
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