Volume Description

In a volume description, the location of the figure is regarded as a three-dimensional volume with length, width, and height. The volume description can be conceptualized with the prepositions in, inside, over or above in English, and the similar volume descriptions are to be expressed with the locative particle li / limian, shang / shangfang, or nei and zhong in Mandarin Chinese. It is noticed that geometric features of prepositions in English and locative particles in Chinese can be specified as an interior and bounded enclosure in the volume description.

2.3.4.1 Contact

As shown in (46)-(47), the ground (suitcase) which is three-dimensional and has an interior is considered as the volume where the figure (the clothes) is fully or partially contained. The use of the English prepositions in or inside encodes the concept of an interior and bounded enclosure while such an expression in Chinese is denoted by the locative particles li, limian or nei.

(46) Many clothes in / inside the suitcase.

(47) Xinglixiang li/limian/nei you xuduo yifu.

suitcase in/inside have many clothes

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Moreover, as shown in (48), the reference object (class) is viewed as a volume where the figure (she) is located. The prepositional phrase in class denotes the period of time during which a whole class is taught. Hence, the present state of the figure is indicated by the preposition in as well. In Mandarin Chinese, as showed in (49), such a metaphorical sense of

in class is encoded by the verb shang ‘go to’.

(48) She is in class now.

(49) Ta zheng zai shangke.

she now ZAI in-class

It is noted that the English prepositions in and inside denote the same meaning as the Chinese postpositions such as li, limian, or nei.

2.3.4.2 Non-contact

Some literal cases display the volume descriptions in which the physical object seems to be embedded in or entirely surrounded by the air. As can be seen in (50), the figure (the clouds) is assumed to be embedded in the ground (sky) which is viewed as the volume with a bounded enclosure by using the preposition in. In Mandarin Chinese, as in (51), similar geometric features of volume descriptions are denoted by the locative terms zai…li/zhong which map onto the English preposition in.

(50) The clouds are in the sky.

(51) Yun zai tiankong li/zhong.

cloud ZAI sky in/middle

Also, as shown in (52), the preposition above encodes the non-contact relation between the figure (the birds) and the ground (the trees). The figure is at a higher level than the Ground. In Mandarin Chinese, as shown in (53), similar geometric features of volume descriptions are denoted by the locative term zai…shangfang which maps onto the English preposition above.

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(52) The birds fly high above the trees.

(53) Niao zai shucong shangfang gao fei.

bird ZAI trees above/over high fly

As presented in (54), the figure (the plane) moves across the space above the ground (the city) and the preposition over encodes the non-contact relation between them. However, in (55), it is the verb fei-guo-le ‘flew over’ rather than the locative terms in Chinese to signify the volume description.

(54) The plane flew over the city.

(55) Feiji fei-guo chengshi.

plane flew-over-Asp city

Moreover, the configuration of space in relation to the referent object can be specified in some idiomatic expressions. In (56), the abstract noun mind is considered a volume and it can be collocated with the prepositions in and on in English to denote different meanings.

However, such idiomatic expressions are not found in Chinese. As shown in (57), both the English prepositions in and on are corresponding to the Chinese locative marker zai. The different meanings are signified by the verbs xiang ‘think’ and fannao ‘bother’ in Chinese.

(56) What is in your mind? / What is on your mind?

(57) Ni zai xiang shenme? / Ni zai fannao shenme?

you ZAI think what / you ZAI bother what

In English, prepositions are in different forms like in, inside, on, above, and over, and they correspond to the single form zai in Chinese. In addition, the Chinese postpositions like

li, zhong, or shangfang do not have corresponding forms in English.

2.3.5 Summary

The similarities and differences of Chinese and English prepositions are summarized in Table 2-4.

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Table 2-4 A Comparison of Spatial Prepositions in English and Chinese

Type Property English Chinese

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According to Table 2-4, the following transfer effects are expected. With regard to positive transfer, Chinese EFL learners will have no difficulty acquiring the English prepositions in literal spatial sense since the English prepositions correspond to the locative marker zai in Chinese. Moreover, prepositions of the volume type are likely to acquire for Chinese EFL learners at first. It is noted that the Chinese locative postposition li encodes the features of an interior and bounded enclosure in the volume type, hence, the forms in English corresponding to li may be easier for Chinese EFL learners to acquire.

As for negative transfer, Chinese EFL learners may have difficulty in distinguishing different uses of English spatial prepositions in that the English spatial prepositions and the Chinese locative terms involve a one-to-many correspondence. For example, shang can be used in these four types of spatial expressions, Chinese EFL learners may get confused with the uses of its English corresponding form on in different types of spatial expressions.

Moreover, the high occurrence of in and on in different types of spatial expressions, on the account of L2 complexity, may raise the difficulty in acquiring their various uses.

Furthermore, Chinese EFL learners may have more difficulty in comprehending English spatial prepositions with metaphorical meanings since the figurative expressions in Chinese are seldom presented by the locative terms.