The Chinese Word "怎么" And Its Corresponding Forms In English

The Chinese word "怎么"and its English corresponding forms "what", "how", and "why" can all function as interrogative pronouns to signify and substitute for the uninformed information and form interrogative sentences. On the basis of the comparison with the corresponding forms in grammar and with the help of the theories and methods of structuralism, this thesis focuses on the description and the contrastive analysis of the Chinese word "怎么" and its English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" when they are used in interrogative sentences and non-interrogative sentences. The thesis mainly consists of two parts. The first part concentrates on the description and analysis of the corresponding rules, similarities and differences between Chinese word "怎么" and its English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" when they are used in interrogative sentences. The second part deals with the description and analysis of the corresponding rules, similarities and differences of usages between Chinese word "怎么" and its English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" when they are used hi non-interrogative sentences. When Chinese word "怎么" functions as an interrogative, the thesis accounts for the English corresponding forms of the Chinese word "怎么" in the complete, sole sentences in which "怎么" is used, and then the thesis deals with the English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" and corresponding rule of Chinese word "怎么" when it functions as an adverbial, or as an attributive, or as a predicate. Based on the description and the analysis, the thesis further demonstrates the similarities and differences in the aspect of grammatical functions and the positions in the sentences and between the Chinese word "怎么" and its English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why". And furthermore, the thesis elaborates the means to strengthen interrogative extents in interrogative sentences in which Chinese word "怎么 " and its English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" are used. As forthe functions of Chinese word"怎么" as an non-interrogative , the thesis probes into the following aspects. Firstly, the English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" of Chinese word "怎么" when "怎么" is used in rhetorical questions. Secondly, the English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" of Chinese word "怎么" when "怎么" is used in exclamatory sentences. Thirdly, the English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" of Chinese word "怎么" when "怎么^" is used as only a functioning word instead of a pronoun. Lastly, the English corresponding forms "what", "how" and "why" of Chinese word "怎么" when "怎么" functions as an arbitrary pronoun.