Issues in the argument structure of Mandarin Chinese
Date
2015
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In this dissertation, I investigate the argument structure of Mandarin Chinese with a focus on the syntactic heads that introduce non-core arguments of the sentence. Three constructions involving such syntactic heads are examined in detail: the A-not-A questions, the Bei-Constructions and the External Possession Constructions. I show that three syntactic argument-introducing heads are involved. The beneficiary/locative/instrumental adjunct involves a syntactic head below VoiceP and above VP, which can be pronounced; the External Possession Construction also involves a syntactic head below VoiceP and above VP, but the syntactic head does not have any phonological content. The Bei-Construction differs from the previous two constructions in that it has an argument-introducing head (above VoiceP or PassP) and is pronounced as bei.