A Cognitive Study Of The English Progressive Under The Theory Of Conceptual Integration

The concept of aspect can be traced back to Slavic languages, which refers to the grammatical category of verbs. The aspects of English can be generally divided into situation aspect and viewpoint aspect (grammatical aspect). The English Progressive belongs to the viewpoint aspect which deals with the situation from the perspective of the internal and pays little attention to the initial point as well as the final endpoint. The English Progressive is not only an important grammatical category but also considered to be a rather controversial topic. Many linguistics scholars have studied the English Progressive from different perspectives, some of which are quite inspiring and convincing, especially those studies which try to explore the cognitive mechanism behind the meaning construction of this grammatical category. However, so far, few studies on the English Progressive have taken into consideration the interaction between the English Progressive and the tense together with the lexical components including the subject, the object, the predicative, the adverbial as well as the verb. By employing the graphic method, the deductive method and the comparison method, this thesis focuses on exploring the cognitive mechanism behind the online meaning construction of the English Progressive with the Conceptual Integration Theory.Guided by the Conceptual Integration Theory, this thesis has investigated into the meanings of the English Progressive, including the grammatical meanings and the online meanings, and found out the factors affecting the meaning construction of the English Progressive as well as the online meaning construction process. The result of the investigation reveals the following two facts:(1) the grammatical meanings of the English Progressive are dynamic, durative, unbounded. The online meanings of the English Progressive can be generalized as emphasizing temporariness, implying repetition, indicating gradual change, expressing feelings or attitudes and delivering futurity. All the online meanings of the English Progressive are constructed based on its grammatical meanings. (2) There are generally six factors that affect the meaning construction of the English Progressive, including the subject, the object, the adverbial, the predicative, the verb and the tense. The meaning construction process of the English Progressive can be illustrated with the Conceptual Integration Theory. The Input Space 1 consists of the three grammatical meanings of the English Progressive. The Input Space 2 is made up of the aspectual meanings of the finite verb involved. The generic space contains the structure of the English Progressive combined with the finite verb. The blended space includes the entities projected from the Input Space 1 as well as the emergent structure gained through the complicated cognitive operations such as completion and elaboration, which are processed by some online frames deriving from the other factors such as the subject, the object, the adverbial, the predicative and the tense. This four-space blending contributes to a single-scope integration network.The study made in this thesis is a succession as well as a supplement of the former studies on the English Progressive. It enlarges the application of the Conceptual Integration Theory and helps English learners and users get a better and deeper understanding of the English Progressive.