Many of these studies have found rudimentary past and future thinking ability in 3-year-olds and a
developmental progression that culminates in a much more complex ability between 4 and 5 years of
age. For example, 3-year-olds are able to converse about the real past and future using temporal terms
such as before and after or did and will (Blewitt, 1982; Busby & Suddendorf, 2005; Grant &