An integrated approach to the study of the Chinese resultative construction

Abstract

This study examines the structure and functions of the Chinese resultative construction. Specifically, it makes an attempt to integrate the form and function, the syntax and semantics, Chinese and English, and formal and functional perspectives. The interface between syntax and lexical semantics has intrigued researchers in linguistics and related fields more than ever. Argument structure has been postulated to capture the relationship between syntax and semantics. Resultative verb compounds in Chinese have been shown to provide insights into the theory of argument structure as the syntax-semantics interface. In particular, this work takes an eclectic approach to the subject.

The resultative construction is subject to some constraints and they apply differently to English and Chinese. For example, the Direct Object Restriction is observed in English while it has limited applications in Chinese. Furthermore, the issues such as event types and transitivity related to the resultative construction will be examined in both languages.