Research Into The Focus Of The Negation In Modern Chinese

The sub-topics researched by the theory in the focus of the negation are those that are done by the negation in modern Chinese. The dissertation makes use of relevant theories to extend the research on the problem. The whole thesis is divided into five parts.1. It will give a comprehensive description and assessment of the present situation of the research, in which the achievements of the previous research are asserted and those of limitations are indicated as well.2. The paper distinguishes two different kinds of negations in nature: the negation of sentences and of part of sentences.3. It analyses the questions about "bu" and "mei" as well as relevant problems from the view of subjectivity and objectivity. While "bu" is mainly used in the subjective negation and may give a special negation to the certain motions in nature ,"mei" is used in the objective negation and may negate sentences in the above from the point of subjectivity in the particular context. Therefore, it is determined that subjectivity and objectivity are one of the most basic and essential characteristics of "bu" and"mei".4. It discusses two kinds of the most typical formats of redundant negation. What is more, for the "chadianer mei VP" format,when the format conveys a positive meaning, "mei" and the complement should be stressed, but the verb is voiceless; when the format conveys a negative meaning, the verb should be stressed, but "mei" and the complement is voiceless. For the "hao+bu +adjective" format, we imply only when the format conveys a positive meaning does it belong to the redundant negation. Furthermore, the adjective in the format is usually a disyllable at the same time and can be modified by "hen", "shi fen", "fei chang" and so on. What is more, the format is used as predictive, attributive, complement or adverbial at the same time.5. The paper points out that the scope of negation is a sum of negative portfolio and negative meanings in abstract negatives while the focus of negation is a real characteristic portfolio built after in the concrete negatives by the function of real context for abstract negatives. There are four main expressions in the focus of negation: contractive accents, marking phrases, semantic items and word order. Secondly, the uncertainty of the scope of the negation can cause ambiguity of the negatives. In concrete negatives, the focus of negation can be delimited and the context plays a role in excluding ambiguity of negatives. We also inspect meticulously the focus of "bu" negation before the former predicate in sentences with tied predicates. Thirdly, the problem that the focus of negatives are the same as those of negation or not is essentially one that negation is relevant with focus or not.