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ABSTRACT
This study investigates the rang clauses in modern mandarin Chinese from the Cardiff Grammar approach with the aim to answer a central question concerning the clauses, i.e., what are the syntactic functions of rang in the clauses? After reviewing previous studies and clarifying the basic notions established in the Cardiff Grammar, the study analyzes and discusses the syntax of the generally recognized four types of the clauses with the objective to match semantic functions to syntactic elements. The study shows that when rang expresses “concession,” it functions as a main verb, which expounds the Predicator of the clause; when it means “causation,” it is a causative verb, which expresses an “influential process,” with the nominal group following rang as the Subject of the embedded clause; when rang is equal to Chinese “bei,” it is a preposition, whose function is to introduce the Agent of the action and syntactically it together with its following nominal group forms a prepositional group, expounding the Complement of the clause; when rang expresses “wishes,” it functions as a Mood marker and syntactically it is analyzed as the direct element of the clause, i.e., Let Element.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported.
Notes
1. Except for example (2), all other examples in this section are from Lv (Citation1999, 461–463). For our purpose of this study, tense, aspect, mood and other grammatical markers and measure words are just omitted in the line of word by word translation, since no equivalents can be found in English.
2. Corpusonline is developed by State Language Commission; CCL refers to Center for Chinese Linguistics PKU, which is developed by PeKing University; BCC refers to BLCU Corpus Center, which is developed by Beijing Language and Culture University.
3. Since opinions vary in the literature, we will only review some representative views proposed by some influential figures.
4. Following the systemic tradition, the first letter of the functional element will be capitalized. We use “Predicator” rather than “main verb”, because in Chinese language the “Predicator” is not always realized by a main verb. Sometimes it can be realized by an adjective, even a clause (see He et al. Citation2015, 38–43). Also note that we use “Predicator”, not “Predicate”, because the latter term has been used in traditional grammar and formal grammar, where it is roughly equivalent to VP, or Verb Phrase.
5. Key: ngp1 = nominal group 1; ngp2 = nominal group2; V = verb; ngp3 = nominal group 3. And for our purpose of the discussion, we will ignore the Adjunct xin zhong.
6. Key: S = Subject; P = Predicator; O = Object; Oc = Object Complement; S1 = Subject 1; S2 = Subject 2; VP1 = Verb Phrase 1; VP2 = Verb Phrase 2; O2 = Object 2; C = Complement.
7. The specific reasons for our claim will be elaborated in section 4 when giving our own functional analysis.
8. Key: Cl = Clause; O = Operator; X = Auxiliary; M = Main verb; h = head; dd = deictic determiner.
9. key: Oi = Indirect Object; Od = Direct Object.
10. Traditional grammars make a distinction between “Objects” and “Complements” and, within “Objects”, between “Direct Objects” and “Indirect Objects”. Yet in SFL, they are all treated as “Complements”, since SFL uses an even fuller and more discriminating set of functionally motivated categories, i.e. the set of types of Participant Role, to account for these distinctions.
11. In the CG, a PR is typically conflated with Subject or Complement, and a CR is typically conflated with Adjunct (Fawcett Citation2008, 138).
12. key: ξ = sentence; Ag = Agent; Af = Affected; qtgp = quality group; am = amount.
13. For more information on the CG’s transitivity system and how the PRs are analyzed, see Fawcett (Citation2011).
14. key: Ca = Carrier; a = apex; Pos = Possessed; qlgp = quality group.
15. Key: pgp = prepositional group; p = preposition; cv = completive; m = modifier; qd = quantifying determiner; Af-Ca = Affected-Carrier; At = Attribute.
16. Note that although the head of the nominal group chuang hu and its quantifying determiner yi shan are discontinuous at the form level, this does not affect the fact that they are semantically an unseparated unity. Also note here, Affected-Carrier means a compound PR, which is both the Affected and the Carrier.
17. According to the CG, the covert element is represented in round brackets syntactically.
18. For more detailed functional discussion of this Let Element, see Xiang (Citation2016) and Xiang and Liu (Citation2018).
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Dajun Xiang
Dajun Xiang Ph.D., is an associate professor at the College of International Education, Jishou University, Hunan Province, China. He has published 1 academic book and 15 articles home and abroad. His main research interest includes systemic functional linguistics, discourse analysis and foreign language teaching.