SpeakUp

Grammar fix

young child

small kid

A boy or girl who is still very little, usually not yet a teenager, often under the age of 8.

collocationB1common

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • It's important for a young child to get enough sleep every night.family
  • When I was a young child, my parents read me stories every evening, which helped me develop a love for books.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: adjective + noun (young child)

WrongShe has two young childs.

RightShe has two young children.

Irregular plural — 'children', not 'childs'.

Patternadjective + noun (young child)

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff The juvenile offspring requires constant supervision.

Natural A young child needs constant supervision.

Natural; 'juvenile offspring' is absurd.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • a young child
    with araising astill atwo young children

Don't confuse it

'Young child' is more specific than just 'child' and usually means someone in early childhood, not a baby or a teenager.

Try it in Daily Speak →