At what age do children typically begin using complex sentences?

Children typically begin using complex sentences around the ages of 3 to 4 years. At this stage in development, their language skills are rapidly expanding, and they start to create more sophisticated sentences that include conjunctions and can express more nuanced ideas.

Complex sentences often include multiple clauses, which allow children to convey more detailed information and describe relationships between ideas. For instance, they might combine simple sentences with words like "and," "but," or "because," leading to richer and more varied communication.

In earlier stages, such as ages 1 to 2, children are primarily using single words or simple two-word combinations. As they transition into the 2 to 3-year range, they begin to form simple sentences, but the ability to construct complex sentences typically emerges a bit later, as they develop greater cognitive skills and vocabulary. By ages 3 to 4, many children demonstrate this further sophistication, making this age range the correct choice. As they approach 5 to 6 years, their sentence complexity continues to develop, but the foundation for complex sentences has already been established in the previous years.