From Quantitative To Qualitative Change

Beginning with an analysis of statistics of an authentic corpus and based on the existing research achievements on verb-copy sentence, it is concluded in this paper that the pragmatic function of verb-copy sentence lies in the emphasis on the super quantity of events and behavior. Therefore, verb-copy sentence has a close relation which is concretely displayed by the expression of super quantity with the quantity category. Quantity can be divided into subjective quantity and objective quantity, and super quantity also falls into two kinds: subjective super quantity(S.S.Q.) and objective super quantity(O.S.Q.). In causative verb-copy sentence, the super quantity is manifested in O.S.Q. which is dynamic and can cause qualitative change. In non-causative verb-copy sentence, the super quantity is manifested in S.S.Q. which is static and cannot cause qualitative change. In causative verb-copy sentence, quantitative change causes qualitative change and verb-copy sentences of different semantic categories bring quantitative changes of different stages into prominence. In non-causative verb-copy sentence, quantitative change doesn't cause qualitative change and non-causative verb-copy sentence brings the first stage of the whole process in which quantitative change causes qualitative change into prominence. The paper holds that what the verb-copy sentence expresses is a semantic category which takes the typical quantitative change process-the whole process in which the quantitative change causes qualitative change-as its typical quantitative change schema. The schema is as follows:Small quantity -large quantity - super quantity -* qualitative change...