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Serial Verb Constructions in Mandarin Chinese: Shared

This thesis examines serial verb constructions (SVCs) in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on their definitions and syntax from a crosslinguistic perspective. It identifies four types of SVCs: Sequential, Circumstantial, You, and Directional, highlighting the prevalence of subject sharing in the first three types and object sharing in the last. The research builds on previous studies, particularly those by Li and Thompson, while proposing a nuanced understanding of SVCs in Chinese syntax.

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24 views3 pages

Serial Verb Constructions in Mandarin Chinese: Shared

This thesis examines serial verb constructions (SVCs) in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on their definitions and syntax from a crosslinguistic perspective. It identifies four types of SVCs: Sequential, Circumstantial, You, and Directional, highlighting the prevalence of subject sharing in the first three types and object sharing in the last. The research builds on previous studies, particularly those by Li and Thompson, while proposing a nuanced understanding of SVCs in Chinese syntax.

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SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTIONS IN MANDARIN CHINESE

Hsin-Chih Chen

Advisor: Dr. T.-H. Jonah Lin

National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu City, Taiwan

ABSTRACT

This thesis focuses on the definitions and syntax of serial verb constructions

(SVCs) in Mandarin Chinese from a crosslinguistic perspective.

An SVC refers to a sentence where a sequence of verbs or VPs appears without

any overt conjunction. In addition, verbs in an SVC are understood in the same

tense, and share at least one argument. While Baker (1989, 1999), Collins (1997)

and Stewarts (1998), among others, propose the center of an SVC is the shared object,

other language data reveal that subject sharing is more prevalent in SVC literature.

On the other hand, Chinese SVCs have acquired much attention since Li and

Thompson (1973, 1974, 1981) unveiled their influential works on the topic.

Subsequent studies introducing contemporary theories with a focus on subject sharing

argued that some of Li and Thompson’s SVC types should be expelled. The remnant

are three sentence types: namely, Sequential SVCs, Circumstantial SVCs, and You

SVCs, in our terminology. Considering object sharing is crucial in some SVC

languages, we include one more type into discussion—Directional SVCs.

(1) wo zhu fan chi. (Sequential SVC)

I cook rice eat

‘I cook rice to eat.’


(2) ta du shu hen zhuanxin. (Circumstantial SVC)

He read book very concentrated

‘He is very concentrated when he is studying.’

(3) wo you shui he. (You SVC)

I have water drink

‘I have water to drink.’

(4) ta na bi chu-lai. (Directional SVC)

He take pen out-come

‘He took a pen out.’

Syntactically, the first three types all involve subject sharing and appear like

modifier-head structures. The last type, on the contrary, involves object sharing, and

is better analyzed as a left-headed complex predicate.

Keywords: serial verb construction, coordination, adjunction, Chinese syntax, E do ,

object sharing, subject sharing, light verb, purposive, directional verbs,

double-headedness, complex predicate, head directionality


連

度來 論 連 serial verb
construction句

連 句 兩
連兩論
連論連
料句

連 Li and Thompson (1973, 1974, 1981)


論來 論便不來
了來 Li and Thompson 類連

連連Sequential SVC 連
Circumstantial SVC 連You SVC 論
連Directional SVC 例
句

飯連連
讀 連
連
來 連

來句
句來都 modifier sturcture)
Left-headed
Complex Predicate

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