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In Chapter Three, we have argued that modals are functional categories as part of the split INFL, in which different modal interpretations reflect individual projections

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Chapter Five Conclusion

5.1 General review

Each person can only hold enough knowledge to add one small rung to the ladder, but together we can climb to the moon. In the development of linguistic theory, different approaches have been taken to explore the properties of modal constructions as reviewed in Chapter Two. Because there are many researchers who have come before us, we can turn to them for the basic knowledge of related issues.

In Chapter Three, we have argued that modals are functional categories as part of the split INFL, in which different modal interpretations reflect individual projections.

In terms of Chinese modals, the trichotomy interpretation has been shown to better capture the facts, and such division as epistemic, deontic and dynamic is not only semantically but also syntactically verified. More specifically, epistemic modals are syntactically higher than deontic modals, and deontic modals have to be structurally higher than dynamic modals. Furthermore, following Riemsdijk (1998), Wurmbrand (2001), Corver and Riemsdijk (2001) and Cardinaletti and Shlonsky (2004), we have argued that dynamic modals in Chinese are “semi-functional categories,” because of their thematic influence on their subjects and their identical syntactic behaviors shared with other modals. Through interactions between modals and elements such as ba and the passive bei, we have specified that ba and the bei in short-passives compete for the head position of vP, and such projection is the complement of dynamic modals.

Finally yet importantly, we have proposed that modals in the sentence final position involve VP-fronting, whereas those in sentence initial positions involve focus movements from the IP domain to the CP domain.

Furthermore, according to the three groups of modal interpretations, we have examined the modal construction by some pedagogical critera and arranged a sequence of modals in Chinese for the basic level of teaching: ा 3 ‘want’, ཮ 2 ‘can’, ཮ 1/ा 1

ள/ा 2 ‘should, must’, ёа 2/ૈ 2 ‘may, can’, ёа 3/ૈ 3 ‘can, be able

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to’, ёа 1/ૈ 1 ‘may, can’, ᔈ၀ 1 ‘must’, ᔈ၀ 2 ‘should, have to’. On the basis of this sequencing, we have demonstrated a pedagogical grammar of Chinese modals in Chapter Four.

5.2 Contribution

In the past three decades, linguists have noted some properties of modals in Chinese. The result of the present study supports a classic analysis of Chinese modals as under INFL but conflicts with an analysis treating them as lexical verbs. This resut further indicates that a long-lasting view of making a raising vs. control distinction among modals is incorrect. In addition, we have demonstrated how the ordering reflects the clausal structure and how the sequencing of modals shows from a pedagogical perspective.

Given our proposed clausal structure, we have manifested that INFL exists in Chinese. In terms of “category”, it has been argued that the binary division of categories as functional and lexical is not sufficient. We have proposed that in Chinese as well as in other languages like German and Italian, there is a mixture category which can be labeled as “semi-functional category”. The present study has indicated that dynamic modals in Chinese are of this category. Moreover, with the help of new facts, we have shown that modals in the sentence initial position resemble focus elements in the split CP argued by Rizzi (1997).

Considering the properties of modals, we have articulated that modals are separated from Tense and can occur in infinitive clauses. This clarifies a long-standing misconception that modals and Aspect markers cannot occur in non-finite clauses. In other words, only the INFL element related to Tense is prohibited in non-finite clauses. It follows that since modals and Aspect are separated from Tense, they are immune to such restriction. In addition, we have also proposed that dynamic modals and Aspect compete for the same postion, while epistemic and deontic modals can co-occur with Aspect markers. It is another clarification of a traditional assumption that only epistemic modals can co-occr with Aspect markers. We have shown that such misconception is due to the failure to distinguish deontic modals from

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dynamic ones.

Based on the result of our analysis given in Chapter Three, we turned to discuss the Chinese modals from a pedagogical perspective. On the basis of the guidelines given by Teng (1997, 1998) and in the spirit of Chen (2000), we examined the arrangement of the pedagogical grammar of Chinese modals. We have suggested that the term “modal auxiliary (ૈᜫշ୏ຒ néng yuàn zhùdòngcí)” should be used in Chinese teaching in order to reflect the properties of modals given in Chapter Three.

In order to hinder Chinese learner from incorrect conjugations, we have emphasized that negative and affirmative forms of Chinese modals should be taught simultaneously.

Furthermore, in the course of our discussion, we have paid attention to how different statistics data should be employed for pedagogical purposes. Our aim in Chapter Four is to arrange Chinese modals into a pedagogical sequencing. To this end, we have utilized data of frequency to determine the external sequencing of different modals. On the other hand, we have also touched upon the complexity of modals in our discussion. Following Teng (1997, 1998), we have exploited the result of complexity to arrange the internal sequencing of modals. Given the result of our discussion, we have demonstrated a pedagogical grammar of the Chinese modal construction for the basic level of Chinese teaching.

5.3 Issues for further research

It is because of each narrowly focussed individual at each step that a full understanding and the truth of the complexities of life can be achieved. Given the analysis and discussion in Chapter Three and Chapter Four, there are still some related issues that deserve further study.

Regarding the INFL domain in Chinese, existence of Tense has been assumed in Chinese. Nonetheless, because of the lack of overt Tense markers, it is relatively difficult to explore its syntactic behavior. In the present study, we assume that there is a higher functional category that determines Tense of sentences, TP, which is separated from Aspect and Modal. This issue of Tense requires further study with respect to the interaction between Tense and different INFL elements. Within the INFL domain,

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Aspect also receives extensive attention because of overt Aspect markers in Chinese.

It is proposed in Chapter Three that there is an indepentent projection, AspP, in Chinese separated from Tense (i.e. TP) and modality (i.e. ModP). However, the interaction between semantic interpretations and syntactic behaviors of the Aspect system shows certain complexity. We have proposed in Chapter Three that Aspect is independent of Tense and can occur in non-finite clauses. The remaining question as noted by Huang et al. (2004) is whethere there is more than one Aspect projection in the INFL domain.

We leave this issue open in this thesis, since it is beyond the scope of the present study and does not affect our analysis.

It is an on-going trend to explore the inner structure of IP as well as CP in the development of syntactic theory. Rizzi (1997), Haegeman and Guéron (1999), among others argue that focus and topic in the sentence initial position show a rather rigid relation that is hard to capture under the traditional adjunction approach. Under the split CP approach, we have proposed that there are some restrictions on modals in the pre-subject position. By distributions of the partical suo, we have shown that such pre-subejct position is out of the INFL domain, but the domain of CP. Furthermore, in the CP domain, dynamic modals are the only modal group being prohibited and modals in the pre-subject position would be stacked along the order as in INFL. Given these observations, another question to be asked is if the sentence initial focus elements and topics in Chinese show a rigid relation as what has been found in English and Italian;

do they display similar properties as what is examined in Rizzi (1997) and related works? Because of the limit of this thesis, we did not elaborate this point in more detail.

Regarding Pedagogical Grammar, the pragmatic function also requires further study as pointed out by Teng (1998) and Xing (1998). In this thesis, we have put our focus mainly on the syntactic properties. A finer analysis from a pragmatic perspective needs to be provided. In addition, due to the limit of the present study, we did not expand our discussion of frequency to individual modal interpretations.

According to the original statistics adopted in Chapter Four, we sketched the external sequencing of modals in Chinese. However, the result would be represented more

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amply if the frequency of individual modality could be taken into consideration. On the other hand, it would be another issue on how L1 and L2 differences can be systematically represented with details in curricula and in teaching materials.

Concomitant points not at issue are the error analysis and the language acquisition.

It has been proposed in Chapter Four that analyses of L1 acqusition shed some light on supporting our syntax analysis and the L2 pedagogical analyses. However, we did not put forth discussion of these issues. It arouses our interest if the result of theoretical analyses can echo the analyses of both L1 and L2 acuqisitions and can get support from the result of acquisitonal analyses. Nonetheless, we leave the answers to these questions open at present.

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