Key points

Our ability to comprehend and produce sentences can be disrupted by brain damage in different ways.

This reveals the inner structure of one of our most uniquely human abilities: syntax.

Understanding syntax issues aids in targeted speech therapy treatments.

Imagine trying to speak but only being able to produce fragments: "one eye – eye is always – tears – been teary – I can't – I could earlier." Or imagine speaking fluently but creating bizarre "sentence monsters" like: "Well, all I know is, somebody is clipping the kreples and some wha, someone here on the kureping arm." These aren't made-up examples—they're actual utterances from people whose brains have been damaged by stroke, revealing something profound about how our minds construct language.

The Mystery of Missing Gr

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