Table Of ContentA
Reference
Grammar
of
Chinese
Sentences
W ith
Exercises
Henry Hung-Yeh Tiee
DONALD M. LANCE
Linguistics Consultant
The University of Arizona Press
TUCSON
eP lsi-imt v
Henry Hung-Yeh Tiee, professor of Chinese at the Uni
versity of Southern California, is also chairman of that
university's Department of East Asian Languages.
Donald M. Lance is professor of English at the Univer
sity of Missouri in Columbia.
The University of Arizona Press
Copyright© 1986
The Arizona Board of Regents
All Rights Reserved
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tiee, Henry Hung-Yeh.
A reference grammar of Chinese sentences with exercises.
Half title also in Chinese: Chung wen chu fa.
Bibliography: p
Chinese language—Text-books for foreign
speakers—English. I. Lance, Donald M. II. Title.
III. Title: Chung wen chu fa.
PLI129.E5T54 1986 495.1'8242! 86-14679
ISBN 0-8165-0965-4 |alk. paper)
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data are available.
Preface
This book is intended to serve as a general guide to the
structure of Chinese sentences. It is designed as a
supplementary textbook to be used at all levels of instruction;
it would not be appropriate as the principal classroom textbook
for beginning courses in Chinese. We have tried to make the
grammatical explanations and examples clear enough for
beginning students at the university level, but since the book
is primarily a reference grammar we have tried not to sacrifice
comprehensiveness for the sake of simplicity. The first six
chapters of the book cover structures that must be learned in
beginning and intermediate classes, but portions of these
chapters and most of the material in the last six chapters
would not be covered until advanced courses in Chinese grammar
and stylistics. Each sentence structure is not only descrip
tively analyzed, but also formulated in a pedagogical pattern
with examples. Exercises are provided in each unit of the
chapter to give students practice in writing and translation.
The grammatical theory on which the book is based is
rather eclectic, not restricted to any particular school of
linguistics. Most of the terminology is traditional, i.e., the
terms used in standard grammars of European languages and in
the grammars of Chinese, but some of the concepts and some
aspects of the organization of the material reflect twentieth-
century American structural linguistics, generative-transforma-
tional grammar and discourse analysis. The book uses the
Pinyin transcription system. A pronunciation guide is provided
on pages xvii - xxvii. A comparative table of three major
romanizations (Wade-Giles, Yale, Pinyin) with accompanying
Zhuyin Fuhao (National Phonetic Letters) is included in
Appendix I. A selected bibliography appears in Appendix II.
The successive drafts of the manuscript of this book were
written by Professor Tiee as he has felt the need for supple
mentary explanations and examples while teaching Chinese at the
University of Southern California during the past seventeen
years. Professor Lance (who does not speak Chinese) edited
each successive draft, attempting to present the English trans
lations in idiomatic English, and suggesting expansions and
reorganization of the grammatical descriptions that seemed to
be needed. Professor Lance's perspective in editing the manu
script comes from twenty-eight years of teaching experience
that include seven years of foreign language instruction (high
school Spanish) and twenty-one years of experience in teaching
English linguistics at the University level, including English
v
grammar, syntactic theory, linguistics, and teaching English as
a second language.
We are grateful to Mr. Alexander Young for his dedicated
word processing of the manuscript. Even through the worst
summer heatwave in 1985, his creativity and talent in accommo
dating and paralleling all the romanized transcriptions,
Chinese characters, and English translations of the example
sentences together into the format deserve more than applause.
Special acknowledgment must be made to Miss Hong-yi Lee for
devoting herself to inserting Chinese characters throughout the
entire text.
And finally, very deep thanks must be expressed to Su-yung
Tiee and the three children with their families for their
support and encouragement during the long process of producing
this volume.
Any teacher or student who uses this book and finds por
tions to be lacking in any respect should write to the author
so that the next edition may be corrected and improved.
Los Angeles, California HHT
May 1986 DML
Contents
Preface V
Pronounciation Guide xvii
Abbreviations and Symbols xxviii
Chapter 1, BASIC CLAUSE PATTERNS 1
1.1 Brief Theoretical Background 1
1.2 Basic Clause Patterns 4
1.3 The Noun Phrase 5
1.3.1 Omission of Subject NP and Object NP 7
1.3.2 Constituents of Noun Phrases 9
1.3.2.1 Determiners 10
1.3.2.2 Quantifiers 12
1.3.2.2.1 Kinds of Quantifiers 12
(1) Definite Quantifiers 12
(2) Indefinite Quantifiers 13
1.3.2.2.2 Measure Markers 14
(1) Individual Measure Markers 14
(2) Group Measure Markers 18
(3) Standard Measure Markers 19
(4) Temporary Measure Markers 19
1.3.2.3 Adjective Modifiers 20
1.3.2.4 Nominal Modifiers 20
1.4 Noun Substitutes 20
1.4.1 Types of Pronouns 20
1.4.1.1 Personal Pronouns 20
1.4.1.2 Reflexive Pronouns 22
1.4.1.3 Indefinite Pronouns 22
1.4.1.4 Interrogative Pronouns 24
1.4.2 Other Substitute' Forms 28
1.5 The Predicate (Verb Phrase) 29
1.5.1 Types of Predicates 29
1.5.1.1 Predicates with Intransitive Verbs 30
(1) Verbs of Motion, Accompanied by a
Directional Complement (DC) 30
(2) Verbs of Direction, Accompanied by a
Directional Complement (DC) 30
(3) Verbs of Existence, Appearance,
Disappearance, or Static Behavior 30
1.5.1.2 Predicates with Transitive Verbs 31
(1) Verbs of Action 32
(2) Causative Verbs 32
(3) The verb you 'has/have, possess' 34
1.5.1.3 Predicates with Indirect and Direct Objects 34
1.5.1.4 Predicates with Adjectives 35
(1) Simple Adjectives 35
vii
(2) Reduplicated Adjectives 37
a. Monosyllabic Reduplication 37
b. Disyllabic Reduplication 38
c. The Second Syllable Reduplication 39
1.5.1.5 Predicates with Nominals AO
1.5.2 Other Elements in Predicates 42
Exercises 42
Chapter 2, NEGATION OF BASIC SENTENCES 44
2.1 The Negative Adverb bu 44
(1) Sentence with an Intransitive Verb 45
(2) Sentence with a Transitive Verb and
One Object 46
(3) Sentence with a Transitive Verb and
Two Objects 47
(4) Sentence with Adjectival Predicate 48
(5) Sentence with Nominal Predicate 50
(6) Scope of Negation 51
a. Modal, Adverb or Prepositional Phrase
Following bu 52
b. Modal, Adverb or Prepositional Phrase
Preceding bu 52
2.2 The Negative Adverb mei(you) 53
2.2.1 Verbal Predicate with Possessive you 53
2.2.2 Verbal Predicate with Existential y5u 54
2.2.3 The Predicate Containing Aspect Markers 55
Exercises 55
Chapter 3, QUESTION FORMS OF BASIC SENTENCES 56
3.1 Yes/No Question (Y/NQ) 57
3.1.1 Yes/No Question with Interrogative
Particle (IPt) ma 57
3.1.2 Yes/No Questions with Tags / 64
3.1.2.1 Tag Questions with shi bushi 'Yes or No' 64
3.1.2.1.1 Tags with Predicate Verbs or Predicate
Adjectives 65
3.1.2.1.2 Tags with Predicate Nominals 69
3.1.2.2 Other Ta|s 70
3.1.2.2.1 Dui budui 'Right or Not right' 71
3.1.2.2.2 Hao buhao/Xing buxing 'OK or Not OK' 71
3.2 Information Question (IQ) 72
3.2.1 Shei 'who, whom' 72
(1) As Subject 72
(2) As Object 72
(3) As Complement 73
(4) Shede 'whose' as Possessive Modifier 73
3.2.2 Shenme 'what' 7 3
(1) As Subject 73
viii
(2) As Object 74
(3) As Complement 74
(4) As Modifier of a Noun 74
3.2.3 Nei 'which' 75
(1) Standing before Subject 75
(2) Standing before Object 76
(3) Standing before Complement 76
3.2.4 Nar/Nali 'where' 77
3.2.5 Zenme/Zenmeyang 'how' 7 7
3.2.6 Weishenme 'why, for what' 78
3.2.7 Ji, Duoshao or Duo 'how many, how much' 78
(1) Ji with Obligatory Measure Marker 78
(2) Duoshao with Optional Measure Marker 79
(3) Duo with no Measure Marker 79
3.3 Alternative Question (AQ) 80
3.3.1 Alternative Possibilities Between an
Affirmative and a Negative Predicate 80
(1) Verbal SP 80
(2) Adjective SP 81
(3) Nominal SP 81
3.3.2 Alternative Possibilities Between Two
Objects or Two Complements (Nominals) 82
(1) Vt Sentence 82
(2) Nominal Sentence 82
3.3.3 Alternative Possibilities Between Two Verbs 83
3.3.4 Alternative Possibilities Between Two Subjects 83
(1) Verbal Sentence 84
(2) Adjective Sentence 84
(3) Nominal Sentence 85
3.4 Rhetorical Question 85
3.4.1 Bushi Form 85
3.4.2 Nar Form 86
Exercises 87
Chapter 4, TIME, ASPECT, AND CHANGE OF STATUS 90
4.1 Time 90
4.1.1 Time Words 90
4.1.2 The Function of Time Words 91
4.2 Aspect 91
4.2.1 Inceptive Aspect qilai 91
4.2.2 The Durative (Progressive) Aspect 93
(1) Co-occurrence of zai, -zhe and ne 93
(2) Zai with ne, Focusing on the Continuation
of the Process of an Action 93
(3) Zhe with ne, Focusing on the
Durativity of the State 94
4.2.3 The Successive Aspect xiaqu 95
4.2.4 The Perfective Aspect le 96
4.2.5 The Experiential Perfective Aspect guo 98
ix
4.2.6 The Experiential Perfective Aspect guo
Combined with the Perfective Aspect le 99
Exercises 100
4.3 Change of Status: The Final Particle (Pt) le 101
4.3.1 Implications of the Change-of-Status le 101
4.3.2 Prospective Change of Status 103
Exercises 104
4.4 The Final Particle le and the Perfective
Aspect le 105
Exercises 108
4.5 Time Words, Aspects, and Final Particles 108
4.6 Negation 110
4.6.1 Inceptive Aspect qilai 110
4.6.2 Progressive Aspects 112
4.6.3 The Durative Aspect zhe 114
4.6.4 The Successive Aspect xiaqu 115
4.6.5 The Perfective Aspect le 116
4.6.6 The Experiential Perfective Aspect guo 117
4.6.7 The Negative Adverb mei(you) and the
Suspension of Action 118
Exercises 119
4.7 Question Forms 120
Exercises 121
Chapter , COMPLEX NOUN PHRASES 122
5.1 Components of the Noun Phrase 122
5.2 Modifiers with the Marker of
Modification de 122
5.3 Limiting Adjectives 123
5.4 Adjectives as Modifiers 124
5.4.1 Use of Modifier Marker de 124
5.4.2 Semantic Classes of Adjectives 126
5.5 Nominal Modifiers 127
5.5.1 Pronouns and Nouns 129
5.5.2 Compound Nouns 129
5.6 Clause Modifiers (Relative Clauses) 130
5.6.1 Deletion and Ordering in Relative Clauses 130
5.6.2 Placement of Adverbs within Relative Clauses 133
5.6.3 Noun Modified by Adjective and Relative Clause 134
5.6.4 Noun Modified by Relative Clause and
Nominal Modifier 134
5.7 Restrictive Modifiers vs.
Nonrestrictive Modifiers 135
5.7.1 Restrictive Modifiers 135
5.7.2 Nonrestrictive Modifier 136
5.7.3 Distinction between Restrictive and
Nonrestrictive Clause Modifiers 136
Exercises 140
x
Chapter 6, ADVERBIAL CONSTRUCTIONS 141
6.1 Adverbs and Adverbial Constructions 141
6.2 Intensifiers (Int) 141
6.3 Adverbs of Scope 143
6.4 Adverbs of Time 144
6.4.1 Relative Time Adverbs 144
6.4.2 Time-Point Adverbs 145
6.4.3 Time-Duration Adverbs 146
6.5 Adverbs of Place 148
6.6 Prepositional Phrases as
Adverbial Modifiers 148
6.6.1 Spatial or Temporal Relationships 149
6.6.1.1 Zai 'at, on, in' 149
6.6.1.2 Cong 'from, since' 149
6.6.1.3 Dao 'to, toward, till, until' 150
6.6.2 Conditions 151
6.6.2.1 Gen 'with' 151
6.6.2.2 Gei 'for, to' 151
6.6.2.3 Ti 'for, in place of' 151
6.6.2.4 Yone 'with, using' 152
6.6.2.5 Dui 'to, toward; facing' 152
6.6.2.6 Wei (followed by zhe or le 'for,
for the sake of' 152
6.6.3 Distance 153
6.7 Comparison 154
6.7.1 Contrastive Comparison 154
6.7.1.1 Comparative Degree in Adjectives 155
6.7.1.2 Comparative Degree in Verbal Predicates 156
6.7.1.3 Modification of Comparative Construction 156
(1) Addition of Certain Adverbs 156
(2) Complement of Quantity 159
6.7.1.4 Superlative Degree 160
6.7.2 Comparison of Similarity 160
6.7.2.1 General Similarity 160
6.7.2.2 Equivalent Similarity 162
6.8 Negation 163
6.9 Question Form 169
6.10 Adverbial Modifiers with the Marker de 171
6.10.1 Disyllabic Adjectives Used as
Adverbial Modifiers 171
6.10.2 Reduplicated Adjectives 171
6.10.3 Idiomatic Phrases 172
Exercises 173
Chapter 7, COMPLEX PREDICATES -- COMPLEMENTS 175
7.1 The Position and Functions of Complements 175
7.2 Resultative Complements (RC) 175
7.2.1 Verbal Predicate with RC 175
xi
