On The Formal Syntax Of Chinese A-not-A Questions

A-not-A question is unique interrogation in Chinese, attracting the interests of many linguistics. Based on Chomsky's minimalist program, this paper will discuss the syntactic feature and derivation. It also investigates of A-not-A questions with negative words.VO-not-VO, VO-not-V and V-not-VO are A-not-A question according to their semantic concord. This paper studies the syntactic features of Chinese A-not-A questions in formal linguistic perspective. We propose that the V-not-V is an integral item which generates with[WH] feature in numeration, and it checks the corresponding uninterpretable [WH] feature of C covertly to mark the interrogative force.This thesis proposes that VO-not-VO was derived by turn-round Y, pick up the words from lexicon, spell out its logical form and phonetic form by merge and move.Suppose that“V-not-V” in V-not-VO questions functions as a whole item, which derives from lexicon,V-not-V takes a value with C by long distance agreement in its own place. After the valuation,it will delete the semantic uninterpretanle [-Q] feature, then the V-not-VO could get the interrogative force.This thesis proposes that VO-not-V quesitons was derived from VO-not by narrow syntax and PF level. T, v and C with agree feature as probe in its c- command range over the verb “xi huan” with semantic interpretable feature [+V] in VP-not questions; then, each of them attracts the goal to merge to the position of them and form three copy words of “xi huan”, and it is also satisfied with the “clitic” feature of “bu”. Agree feature values and deletes the semantic interpretable feature of v, T and C, it also transfers the derivations. In PF level,only {c. xi huan-C} invisible in LCA achieved by “fussion” and {b. xi huan- T} saved by chain reduction have their phonetic form, all these make the final chain {b. xi huan- T, c.xi huan-C} transfer to the operative level of PF. Consider that Chinese belongs to “sign word ended” language, TP moves to position [Spec, CP], it moves all the derivation formula to the semantic level.Semantic differences of Chinese A-not-A questions were greatly influenced by itsnegtive words. “not” in modern Chinese A-not-A usually is expressed by “bu” and “mei”, we find out that A-bu-A could be used for static property, non-perfect property, subject property and habitual property while A-mei-A could be used for dynamic property, perfect property,objective property and temporary property. When A-not-A question combined with other negative words, we find that there is a gradient of acceptability in A-not-A questions.