[an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Lam, Chit Fung: Functional and Anaphoric Control in Mandarin Chinese

Following Bresnan (1982) and many others since, the missing subject of a non-finite subclause selected by equi verbs (e.g., try) is said to be controlled by the matrix-clause subject through functional control. For other verbs (e.g., gesture) that license a subclause without an expressed subject, anaphoric control is said to be involved. In English and related languages, functional and anaphoric control are associated with non-finite subclauses. Whether Mandarin Chinese makes a distinction between finite and non-finite clauses is a debatable issue. This paper draws on a range of diagnostic tools to provide evidence that both types of control structures exist in Chinese, and their identification does not have to entail the controversial assumption of finiteness in the language.


December 22, 2022
[an error occurred while processing this directive]