The Ambiguous Complex Gei Constructions In Chinese

The complex Gei constructions can be ambiguous structures,for example,the structure “wo chang yi-shou-ge gei ni ting” can be interpreted as both a control construction which means I sing a song for you to listen and a passive construction in which the structure “wo chang yi shou ge” is the real object of “chang” and moves to the place of subject.We think the ambiguity is caused not on semantic but on syntax,and the ambiguity can be tested by Ba Constructions.Firstly,we describe the every part of the ambiguous structures.The second verb of the structures is the key of ambiguity which can only be bivalent unergative sensory verbs such as “kan”,“ting”,“xue”.The common feature of these verbs is that they can take a noun or a small clause without interrogative as their objects.The first verb can be bivalent unergative or trivalent unergative or unaccusative verb,and it should be volitional verb which can take an object of result or patient.The first and last noun should be animate beings while the second noun should be inanimate beings.And the first noun is inclined to be referential and the other two nouns are unbounded on reference.Then,we approved that a complex Gei construction that can be expended as a Ba Construction is a control construction,otherwise it is a passive construction.On control construction,the first verb is the main verb,taking a noun as its object and Gei construction as its complement.Thus,the last verb has to take empty object OP which is controlled by the object of first verb otherwise it would share its argument with the first verb.The control project can explain the flowing problems: firstly,the projection of internal argument of the last verb can be explained within the theory of empty categories;secondly,the sematic direction of the last verb can be clear within the theory of control;thirdly,regarding Gei as a kind of functional categories can reveal the semantics of the constructions and explain some related structures;finally,the functional category Caus can explain the derived Ba constructions.On passive construction,the main verb is tested to be the last verb.And the movement of the real object can be driven by topicalization,focalization and passivation.With the failure of topicalization and focalization,we propose that passivation is the real reason of the movement.The reasons of passive project are these: firstly,Gei can be regarded as the sound of passive functional category rather than a redundant constituent;secondly,the differences between Pass-Do Passives and normal passives can be explained and the syntactic parallelisms between these passives are remarkable;thirdly,the passive project is in accordance with the correspondence between thematic roles and voice markers.