maturation or maturational phase

[tulipflower]

The following text is part of an exercise that requires the students fill in the blanks with appropriate form of the word 'mature'.
I wonder which one is suitable in this context: 'maturation' or 'maturational'. I surfed the net for the context and I found both 'maturation/ maturational phase'.

The baby will make steady progress, but its growth will be delayed compared to that of a full-term baby.
For example, if a full-term baby makes it up at six months of age, but a premature infant may not reach this ........................ (maturation/ maturational) phase for several more months.

Source: Inside Reading 1
by Arline Burgmeier

 

[Tarheel]

Two things. One, you don't need "but" in the last sentence. Two, I would use "maturation phase" but I should add that I'm not familiar with "maturational phase".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I agree. When two words are interchangeable, it's usually better to use the shorter one. Maybe the testers are finding out whether you know that.

- use/utilize
- orient/orientate
- oblige/obligate
- preventive/preventative
- regardless/irregardless

 

[jutfrank]

Use maturational.

 

[Tarheel]

I agree. When two words are interchangeable, it's usually better to use the shorter one. Maybe the testers are finding out whether you know that.

- use/utilize
- orient/orientate
- oblige/obligate
- preventive/preventative
- regardless/irregardless

I agree witn that list, but some of us would say "irregardless" isn't really a word.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I agree witn that list, but some of us would say "irregardless" isn't really a word.

Absolutely! I wouldn't, either. But on the other hand, when we hear someone say it, we all know what it means, and that is a characteristic it shares with "real" words.

Hm. In fact, there are words in the dictionary that mean nothing to most people. Qua, for instance. So which is more of a word: qua or irregardless?

I, for one, wouldn't want to have a dog in that fight.

 

[Tarheel]

The word "qua" is good in Words With Friends.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree with that list, but some of us would say "irregardless" isn't really a word.

Not just some of us! It isn't a word in any variant of English. (I know some people say it, but people say a lot of things. That doesn't make them correct.) The word is "regardless".