This paper reports on three separate experiments conducted to examine the roles of particular task and subject characteristics in noun pair learning. In all three studies noun pairs were presented either in noun-verb-noun-conjunction-pronoun (NVNCP) or noun-conjunction-noun-verb-pronoun (NCNVP) contexts. In experiment 1, learning was assessed across three different lists of paired associates in low socioeconomic status (LSES) and middle socioeconomic status (MSES) fifth grade children. Significantly better performance on list 3 was associated with previous practice with NVNCP sentences than with NCNVP sentences for MSES children. In experiment 2, the effects of list length and grade level were assessed within LSES Mexican-American and MSES white populations. MSES subjects recalled more response nouns than LSES subjects in longer lists. A difference in performance associated with sentence type was not detected. In experiment 3, learning was assessed as a function of presentation method and grade level within a MSES white population. Significant age differences were detected with aurally presented materials and with visually presented materials. However, an age difference was not detected with materials presented both aurally and visually. (Author/WR)