A Generative Study Of Chinese "Possessor-subject Possessee-object" Sentences

This thesis studies the syntactic derivation of Chinese "PSPO" sentences in the framework of TG Grammar. Aims of the study are to find out the grammatical status of the two NPs in this sentence pattern and in which way they generate.Chinese "PSPO" sentences have always been a hot issue in traditional grammar studies. Traditional grammarians have done very comprehensive studies and discussions about "PSPO" sentences; however, due to the descriptive property of traditional grammar, problems still remain, among which the status of NPs following intransitive verbs is the most dubious.Studies on the derivation of Chinese "PSPO" sentences in TG Grammar framework began in 1990s'. Because of the explanatory property of TG Grammar, our knowledge on grammatical status of the two NPs has deepened. There are mainly three opinions on generations of this sentence pattern:"possessor rising" explanations, base generation explanations and "possessor-topic, possessee-subject" explanation.The biggest problem of "possessor rising" explanations is the unreasonable disappearance of functional category "de". As a functional head word, it is impossible for "de" to disappear in the derivation process. The only possibility is that "de" doesn't take part in the derivation process. There is no "de" in the lexicon. As for "base generation" explanations, the case of NPs has been ignored which we believe is not proper. Because issues concerned with case are the root of deviationality and uniqueness of "PSPO" sentences. As for "possessor-topic possessee-subject" explanations, we presume they are so strong that some ungrammatical sentence patterns will generate.To explain derivations of Chinese "PSPO" sentences, one problem must be solved first:the grammatical status of the two NPs in this sentence pattern. Based on previous studies and problems we have found in different explanations, we explain the derivation of Chinese "PSPO" sentences from a new perspective, that is, Chomsky's Derivation by Phase theory.Derivation by Phase (DP) is a syntactic operation in the framework of MI proposed by Chomsky in 1999. He holds that the computation process carries on phase by phase. When the computation of a phase completes, the phase head is interpretable and inert. Hence there are no further syntactic operations. Chomsky points out that there are two phases in the derivation of a sentence:vP and CP and all feature checkings and deletings are in phases.Feature checking is carried out along with Agree/Match between a probe and a goal. Operation Agree is one of the most important progresses of DP, with which the goal can be detected in a long distance and the uninterpretable features will be deleted without movement.Under this framework, we presume that in Chinese "PSPO" sentences, the pre-verb NP is the topic, which base generates in the derivation process. Its existence is licensed by the projection requirements of TopP. The after-verb NP is the subject with nominative case which is assigned through Agree. As for the case of the pre-verb NP, we presume that it bears null case.