Which specific aspects of language are the most defective in deaf people who were not exposed to ASL until early adolescence?

A) their use of phonemes
B) their use of noun phrases
C) their use of verb phrases
D) their use of function words

Function Words

These are words that have little lexical meaning or have grammatical functions in sentences, such as prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs, conjunctions, and articles.

Noun Phrases

a group of words that function as the subject or object of a verb, typically containing a noun and its modifiers.

Verb Phrases

In grammar, a combination of a main verb and its auxiliaries (helping verbs) in a sentence, expressing action or state of being.