On Mandarin Shi Focusing Constructions

This thesis is a tentative study of Mandarin shi focusing constructions based on Government and Binding Theory. Shi focusing constructions has attracted many linguists' attention. They are mainly concerned with derivation and focus structure of this construction as well as characteristics and positions of shi. However, great discrepancies exist in opinions on these problems. Hoping to shed light on them, the author of this thesis does some research into the problems mentioned above.We first clarify the scope of our study by giving five features and excluding some sentences seemingly alike, namely, shi sentences with shi being emphatically stressed, shi equational sentences and shi ... de constructions. Through comparison between English it-clefts and shi focusing constructions, it is found that the term "shi focusing constructions" is more proper than "cleft constructions/sentence", a misleading notion to use for shi focusing constructions. Then, we review previous studies of shi and advance our analysis, suggesting on the basis of empirical, theoretical and historical evidence that shi is a grammaticalized focus marker.Following on, we argue in light of split ComP hypothesis that shi focusing constructions have a "TopP + FocP + TP + VP + DP" structure. In this structure, shi heads FocP and the focused element must undergo LF movement to [Spec, FocP] to be interpreted. Elements preceding shi are base-generated in TP and move to [Spec, TopP] to be spelt out, leading to PF representation.Finally we argue that emphatic stress is a complementary focusing strategy in shi focusing constructions.