Language development in preschool children was studied using pairs of pictures with three types of verbal elaboration formed for each pair. After a training trial thirty children listened to one of three types of elaboration (simple sentence, compound or complex sentence, and paragraph). They were asked to name the corresponding response item. Results indicated that the number of relations within an elaboration is more important than its structure in facilitating the performance of young children. Results are discussed in terms of semantic relations. (DP)