Harvard Linguistics 171 Handout 1

Ling171.Lec.1 Handout 1: Prelimiaries 1. Basic Clausal Structures 1.1. Structures of complementation: (1)

a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

Zhangsan lai-le. Zhangsan kanjian-le Lisi. Zhangsan zhu zai Meiguo. Zhangsan zhidao Lisi bu chengshi. Zhangsan song-le Lisi yi-ben shu. Zhangsan fang-le yi-ben shu zai zhuozi-shang. Zhangsan gaosu wo Lisi bu chengshi.

(2)

V' ! Vo

(NP)

(

NP PP CP

)

1.2. Adjunct structures (3)

(4)

a.

Zhangsan zuotian zai jiali toutou-de da-le yi-ge dianhua. Zhangsan yesterday at home secretly do-le one-CL telephone 'Zhangsan made a telephone call secretly at home yesterday.'

b.

Zhangsan yingwei tianqi buhao bu-neng lai. Zhangsan because weather not-not not-can come 'Zhangsan could not come, because the weather was not good.'

c.

yingwei tianqi bu hao, Zhangsan bu-neng lai. because weather not good Zhangsan not-can come 'Because the weather was not good, Zhangsan couldn't come.'

X' ----> YPadjunct X' XP ----> YPadjunct XP

1.3. "Preposed" complements: (5)

(6)

a.

Zhangsan jie-zou-le wo-de shu. Zhangsan borrow-away-Perf my book 'Zhangsan borrowed my book.'

b.

Zhangsan ba wode shu jie-zou-le. Zhangsan BA my book borrow-away-Perf 'Zhangsan borrowed my book.'

a.

Zhangsan zai zhuozi-shang fang-le yi-ben shu.

Ling171.Lec.2 Zhangsan at table-top put-Perf one-CL book 'Zhangsan put a book on the table?'

(7)

b.

Zhangsan fang-le yi-ben shu zai zhuozi-shang.(=1f)

a.

wo-de shu bei Zhangsan jie-zou-le. my book by Zhangsan borrow-away-Perf 'My book was borrowed (away).'

b.

wo-de shu bei jie-zou-le. 'My book was borrowed.

1.4. So-called "V' Complements": the FDRMP constructions (8)

(9)

(10)

a.

Zhangsan pao-le liang tian. Zhangsan run-Perf two hour 'Zhangsan ran two hours.'

b.

Zhangsan pao-le liang ci. Zhangsan run-Perf two time Zhangsan ran twice.

c.

Zhangsan pao-de hen lei. Zhangsan run-DE very tired Zhangsan ran and got tired.

d.

Zhangsan pao-de hen kuai. Zhangsan run-DE very fast Zhangsan runs fast.

a.

Zhangsan kan-le (*shu) liang-ge zhongtou. Zhangsan read-Perf book two-CL hourt Zhangsan read (a book) for two hours.

b.

Zhangsan kan-le (*shu) liang ci. Zhangsan read (a book) twice.

c.

Zhangsan kan-de (*shu) hen lei. kan (*shu) de . . . Zhangsan read (a book) and got tired.

d.

Zhangsan kan-de (*shu) hen kuai. Zhangsan read (a book) very fast

a. b. c.

shu, Zhangsan kan-le laing ci. Zhangsan shu kan-le liang ci. Zhangsan ba shu kan-le liang ci.

kan (*shu) de . . .

Ling171.Lec.3

(11)

d. e. f.

shu bei Zhangsan kan-le liang ci. Zhangsan kan-le liang ci de shu. Zhangsan kan-le liang ci shu.

a.

ta da-le Zhangsan liang ci. he hit-Perf Zhangsan two time He hit Zhangsan twice.

b.

wo chengzan-le ta liang nian. I praised him for two years.

c.

wo piping-le ta san ci /san-ge zhongtou. I criticized him for three times/hours.

(12)

Zhangsan mai-le yi-ben shu gei wo kan. Zhangsan buy-Perf one-CL book for me read Zhangsan bought a book for me to read.

(13)

a.

Zhangsan mai-le yi-ben shu hen youqu. Zhangsan bought one-CL book very interesting Zhangsan bought a book, and the book is very interseting.

b.

Zhangsan jiao-guo yi-ge xuesheng hen congming. Zhangsan teach-EXP one-CL student very clever Zhangsan taught a student (he is clever).

c.

zuotian zher fasheng-le yi-jian chehuo zhen kepa. yesterday here happen-Perf one-CL accident really horrible A traffic accident happened (and it was awful).

1.5. Unaccusatives and Existentials 1.6. Have and Be 1.7. Some Theoretical Issues a. How do the Chinese word order facts fit into UG? -the complment rule -the adjunct rule b. The status of the FDRMP "complements". -subcategorization -optionality -why the “filter”? -why the exceptions to the “filter”?