Differences And Similarities Between "Dong A Xi B" And "Zuo A You B" On The Point Of Semantics, Syntax, And Pragmatics

Though the two patterns have similarities in some aspects, there are differences between them. This essay focuses on the contrast of the two patterns form the point of semantics, syntax, and pragmatics. It is divided into five parts.The first chapter presents a general introduction to the research. It has explained the purpose of choosing this topic, its significance, the research scope, the source of analyzing materials and provided the methodology employed in the present study. It also has offered literature review, domestic and abroad.Chapter 2 discussed the meanings "Dong A Xi B" and "Zuo A You B" can express respectively. "Dong A Xi B", this pattern, can express five different meanings, and its conventional meaning is "the action is taken every where", with the meaning "scatter" second; while the pattern, "Zuo A You B" can express six different meanings, and its conventional meaning is "the action is taken alternately", with the meaning "the action is taken repeatedly or is last for a long time" second. In the process of analyzing each meaning, we emphasize the uncovering of the correspondence between the form of the pattern and the meaning. Through the quantitative analysis, we got the inclination that which meaning is mostly expressed by which form.Chapter 3 made contrast on the differences and similarities of the meanings expressed by the two patterns. Employing the theory of cognitive linguistics, we explained the meaning differentiation of the two patterns and the different variable of the two patterns. We thought that the different meaning of the fixed factors caused the meaning differentiation of the two patterns and the choosing of different variables. Such as, "Dong" and "Xi" express a long distance and a wide land, so it can be used to describe an action involving a wide space; while "Zuo" and "You" express a short distance and a narrow land, so it is used to describe an action involving a narrow space.Chapter 4 discussed about the differences and similarities between "Dong A Xi B" and "Zuo A You B" from the point of syntax and pragmatics. Using the method of quantitative analysis, we uncovered the inclination of the two patterns in the syntactic and pragmatic point. Through the contrast, we knew that the two patters have many similarities in the syntactic and pragmatic point, such as they always locate at the position of predict without taking object or complement and have the features of descriptive and subjective, and the form has the symmetrical aesthetics and so on. But the two patterns have many differences in the point of pragmatics, "Dong A Xi B" always expresses negative connotation, while "Zuo A You B" always expresses neutral connotation.Chapter 5 is the conclusion part. It has a brief generation of the research content, the research value and the possible innovations, which is supposed to provide a mirror for the research of the modern Chinese patterns.