A Study On Phantom Reference Of Temporal Words With Certain Time Scales

As a part of temporal words,temporal words with certain time scales,used in daily conversation frequently,have unambiguous meanings.But this type of temporal words does not always show its objective meaning in sentences,which is called the phantom reference of temporal words.This paper,taking temporal words with certain time scales as an object,analyzes its phantom reference from the perspectives of syntax,semantics,subjectivity,cognitive context,as well as acquisition and teaching.The full paper is divided into five parts:Chapter One is the introduction of the present study of temporal words and phantom reference.The definition of the phantom reference and the range of the objects of this paper are also explained in this chapter.Chapter Two,firstly,makes clear the relations between several definitions and phantom reference and lists the ways how phantom reference of temporal words exists in sentences;secondly,explains how phantom reference is prominent with the help of Cognitive Prominence and demonstrates the relation of semantic features of phantom reference and notional reference in different ways;finally,put up phantom reference-notional reference continuum to talk about the phantom reference's degree and factors that influence the phantom reference's degree.Chapter Three discusses phantom reference's subjective function,subjective degree and subjective quantity.It divides subjective function into subjective descriptive function and subjective informational function.The subjective degree,in a subjective-objective continuum,is decided by a criteria of subjective degree.Phantom reference in sentences shows subjective notion of large quantity.Then,phantom reference of temporal words has two types of vagueness: pragmatic vagueness and vague rhetoric,which have both the common parts and differences.In addition,phantom reference takes hyperbole,dual rhetoric,metaphor to achieve a certain purpose on subjectivity.Therefore,subjectivity and vagueness are related.Subjectivity makes people get involved in vagueness,while vagueness offers subjectivity the space to choose the information.Chapter Four shows the influence of discourse context,cultural context and situation context on the phantom reference.Besides,combining the Purpose Principle,it talks about the expression and understanding of the purpose of expletive temporal words.Finally,it explains the different understandings of native Chinese speakers and Chinese learners from the Theory of Attention and gives some advice on teaching phantom reference of temporal words with certain time scales.Chapter Five summarizes the full text and points out the shortcomings.