A Contrastive Study Of English Middle And Ergative Constructions

English middle and ergative constructions have similar syntactic forms,but express different meanings.Both constructions have been studied abundantly in isolation.Few researchers,however,have brought the middles and ergatives into comparison and contrast.The author tries to make a contrastive study of the two constructions from a perspective of construction grammar to answer the following three questions:(1)What are the similarities and differences between the semantics of EMCs and EECs?(2)What are the similarities and differences between the syntax of EMCs and EECs?(3)What are the restrictions that EMCs and EECs impose on their component parts?Through analysis,this thesis finds out:(1)In semantics,EMCs have four semantic features: “modality”,“genericity”,“agentivity” and “responsibility”.“Modality” and“genericity” denote that EMCs do not report particular events.“Responsibility” means that the inherent property of the middle subjects takes responsibility for the happening of the events.EECs mainly have two semantic features: “change of state” and“non-agentivity”.EECs describe the change of state of the subjects after undergoing the actions denoted by the verbs.The subjects of EECs are not the agents and there are no implicit agents in EECs,hence EECs have “non-agentivity”.(2)In syntax,the subjects of both EMCs and EECs are passive participants,and they both use active voice.However,EMCs usually use simple present tense,while EECs use past tense.Besides,EMCs require adjuncts or other means to provide information focus,while EECs do not require adjuncts because the adjuncts are optional for EECs.(3)The constraints on the component parts of EMCs and EECs are summarized as follows: middle subjects allow simple nominal phrases and pronouns etc.,whileergative subjects are only nominal phrases.In addition,middle subjects are the internal arguments of the middle verbs and sometimes are oblique.The ergative subjects,nevertheless,are only the patients or themes of the ergative verbs.With regard to the verbs,middle verbs can be transitive activity verbs,intransitive activity verbs and achievement verbs,whereas Ergative verbs can be achievement verbs,transitive activity verbs and accomplishment verbs.Adjuncts in EMCs are usually “adverbials”,and even“adjectives”.Sometimes,it will resort to other means,such as: “contrastive stress”,while adjuncts in EECs are usually “adverbials” and “adjectives”.