A Cognitive Study Of Chinese SVO Sentences

Chinese SVO sentences have long been the focus of the linguistic study in China and the research of Chinese SVO sentences has witnessed the development of theory and approaches in linguistics. The argument of the criterion for determining the syntactic status of subject and object in1950s, which was solved by the concept of "function" and "distribution" in structuralism, provides a good example. After the reform policy, under the influence of the case theory, the semantic probe into the relationship between the verb and the noun after the verb prospered, which led to a breakthrough in the definition and categorization of objects. Since1990s, the introduction of the cognitive linguistics made a turn in the study of Chinese SVO sentences from the description to explanation and application. As far as the current situation is concerned, the study of Chinese SVO sentences is not satisfactory. In the study approaches, the semantic description outweighs the dynamic cognitive explanation. In the target of study, a separate classification outweighs the relationship between sub-categories of Chinese SVO sentences. Besides, the concentration on V-O structure overlooks the subject of the sentence.The thesis aims to have a clear description, analysis and explanation of the Chinese SVO sentences, trying to answer three questions in the framework of cognitive theories. Firstly, what phenomena do the Chinese SVO sentences try to signify and why does the signification exist? Secondly how do the phenomena come to be coded in the Chinese SVO sentences through the processing procedures of human brain? Thirdly what is the internal relationship between the members of Chinese SVO family? By answering the first two questions, a cognitive model for processing and understand the Chinese SVO sentences is set up and by coping with the last question, a better comprehension of the usual types of Chinese SVO sentences is made and a family tree of the members of Chinese SVO sentences is drawn.In the framework of cognitive linguistics, the thesis defines the content of the physical world which is signified by the Chinese SVO sentences, in the author’s view, the phenomena of force is what Chinese SVO sentences express. On the basis of this, a cognitive frame, namely conceptual structure for processing the phenomena of force is set up, which operates under the guidance of iconicity. The conceptual structure contains two sub-structures. One is the primary structure, which is responsible for the processing of the implement of the force. The other is the secondary structure, which is responsible for the processing of the effect and consequence of the force, to be specific, the movement and change of state of the entities that receive the force. Later on, the thesis introduces the concept of focal adjustment and construal, by supplying examples of Chinese SVO sentences in the elaboration of the theory, the thesis sets up the subjectivity system which provides a tool for the language user to construct different Chinese SVO sentences by different cognitive approaches to the identical phenomena of force. To summarize, the conceptual structure and the subjectivity system for processing the phenomena of force explains how Chinese SVO sentences are constructed through the human cognition of the phenomena of force in the physical world. The conceptual structure provides the potential meaning for Chinese SVO sentences while the subjectivity system provides cognitive approaches for the final determination of the meaning.On the basis of the theory, the thesis categorizes the Chinese SVO sentences by the criteria of divergence of subject, predicate and the object. By this standard, the Chinese SVO sentences falls into three categories, namely prototype (labeled type I), sub-prototype (labeled type II) and non-prototype (labeled type III). The third type can be divided into five sub-types(labeled IIIA-IIIE). By the investigation into the arrangement of semantic role in the syntactic position of subject, predicate and object, certain arrangement rules and possible forms of the Chinese SVO sentences are found. Later on, the thesis give a brief introduction to these Chinese SVO sentences.In the study of Chinese SVO sentences taking locative objects, the thesis analyzes the property of the locative object. The thesis argues the locative object contains two kinds of property, namely spatiality and materiality. The former is the intrinsic properties of locative objects while the later extrinsic ones. Spatiality can be further divided into three sub-properties, namely movement, containment and whole-part. Materiality appears because of the constraint from syntactic and semantic feature of Chinese SVO sentences. Spatiality and materiality are realized and controlled to certain degree, which leads to the balance between two properties and sub-categories of the locative objects. By the description of the sub-categories, the relationship among the Chinese SVO sentences taking locative objects, as well as that of the Chinese SVO sentences taking locative objects with prototype sentences, is discovered and sorted out. On basis of the study of Chinese SVO sentences taking locative objects, Chinese SVO sentences taking reason objects, goal objects and time objects are probed into, and these sentences are the metaphorical extension of the Chinese SVO sentences taking locative objects.The construction and processing procedure of Chinese SVO sentences taking result objects are investigated into. On the former classification of result objects, the thesis put forward a new type of Chinese SVO sentences taking result objects by associating with material/instrument objects. In the new type of sentence, the entity that receives the force is the material or instrument. Besides the thesis analyze a type of Chinese SVO sentences taking result objects in which the subject is the locative elements(labeled as Rc). The thesis argues this type of sentence is not homogeneous, and it can be divided into three sub-categories, which are embodied in different cognitive schemas. In the end, the thesis probe into the relationship among Chinese SVO sentences taking result objects and their relationship with prototype sentences and Chinese SVO sentences taking locative objects.In the study of existential sentences, the thesis argues the locative elements at the beginning of the sentence are the key characteristics. By probing into the property of the locative elements, the meaning of containment and reception of force is posed, which, according to the thesis, is the fundamental meaning of existential sentences. The significance of containment and reception of force lies in the fact that the peripheral position of existential sentences in the SVO family is finally determined. By sorting out the material listed in Meng, Cong and etc(1999), some types of existential sentences are tested by the meaning of containment and reception of force and types of containment and reception of force are made.In the process of studying the members of Chinese SVO sentences, the thesis pays attention to both their individuality and their membership in the Chinese SVO family. Therefore the relationship between the members is fully looked into, which lead to their specific position in Chinese SVO family...