| From the pragmatic point of view of three-dimensional grammar, this dissertationgives a textual discussion of several unique constructions in Chinese. The dissertation consists of nine chapters in addition to preface and closingremarks. The preface introduces the gist, the source of corpora used in, the scope, the principleand method of the dissertation. Closing remarks summarizes the content of the wholethesis and presents virtues and defects of this dissertation. Chapter One is a review of the study on Chinese unique constructions, which canbe divided into three periods, namely, the initial, the developing, and the flourishingperiod. All major merits made and problems to solve have been put forward. Chapter Two examines S1-S2-V construction in text. The S1 often has a co-referential phrase in preceding sentences, so the construction can maintain topic'ssameness when the relationship between S1and S2 is possessive, can change the topicand keep coherence when the relationship between S1 and V is that of object andaction, and when the relationship between S1and S2-V is that of scope and action. Chapter Three studies the BA construction in text. Generally speaking, the objectof BA often has a co-referential phrase in certain preceding sentences. The position ofthe object of BA is pre-verb, so the post-verb position can be prepared for a phrasecarrying new information, and so the distance between the co-referential phrases canbe as short as possible. Compared with S-V-O construction and O-S-V construction,the BA construction can maintain coherence and topic sameness easily. Chapter Four depicts the BEI construction in text. The different forms of the BEIconstruction, that is, N+BEI+N+VP, N+BEI+VP, BEI +N +VP, BEI+VP, aresuitable for different styles of writing. The use of BEI construction in text is not onlyto keep the topic uniform but also to change one topic to another to spread the text.Identifiable objects of BEI often have semantical connection with the precedingparagraphs or sentences, and unidentifiable objects of BEI can appear again in comingsentences or paragraphs to extend the text. Chapter Five describes Existential construction in text. Existential constructionoften introduces a phrase carrying new information that often picked as chain topic infollowing sentences. So the construction has a function of expanding text. Existentialconstruction can be used to provide background information in a drama, to picture thelayout of a building, to show the evolution of something. Used in a narrative text, theconstruction can present a personality or an event to go on, or be coded as the latterhalf of a sentence to set up a new topic. Used in a description, it can highlight new orimportant information. Used in an argumentation, it can offer a fact or a saying tosupport the main thesis. Chapter Six analyzes the X is X construction in text. The construction is dividedinto X1 is X1 and X1 is X1, Y2isY2 due to the differences of X. The X in X1 is X1 isoften an adjective, the X in X1 is X1, Y2isY2 is exclusively a numeral or a pronoun.When X is a verb or a noun, X1 is X1 and X1 is X1, Y2isY2 can change into each other.When is a verb, or a noun, or a pronoun, X is often co-referential with a phrase or aclause in above. Chapter Seven discusses Verb-copying construction in text. The former part VP1carrying background information of the construction is essential to the latter part VP2to make a sentence. The former part can also express emphases of the speaker,harmony the rhythm of a clause, repeat an event etc. The verb in VP1 must be simple,can't use tense and aspect markers and can't be modified, but the verb in VP2 must becomplicated and can have –le. The combination of VP1 and VP2 is alike to that ofseveral clauses in a sentence. The link and difference of V-copying construction andrelevant constructions have also been studied in this chapter. Chapter Eight surveys V shenme O construction in text. The cons... |
