Abstract
AbstractIt can be traced back to Wang (1965) that the study of negation of Mandarin Chinese within the framework of generative grammar. In addition, its treatment on the interaction between negators and verbal aspects profoundly effects most of his followers on this issue. However, as the development of the contemporary linguistic theory, it calls the need to reconsider these old data and accommodate them into the new theoretical models. This thesis is devoted to inspect the syntactic behaviors of negation in Mandarin such as its distribution restriction, interpretation and interaction with other functional categories.This thesis is made of four chapters: in chapter 1, we sketch the general properties of negation and negators in Mandarin. In chapter 2, we offer a brief discussion on those representing approaches concerning this topic. In chapter 3, it provides with our analyses to the syntax of negation. And we give our conclusions and problems remaining unsolved in chapter 4. Pursuing Pollock's (1989) "Split-I" hypothesis, we assume that bu and meiyou are two separate negators adjoint to ModP and AspP respectively. Moreover, we propose that an implicit modal plays the key role on the determination of the distribution and interpretation of bu in sentences. There are several reasons for us to assume the existence of an implicit modal: first, the insertion of bu into a declarative clause changes its modality. Secondly, even without any modals present, certain modality is borne out with bu. Thirdly, bu's distribution is analogous to specific modals. We also give arguments to clarify a somewhat misleading idea that bu can't co-occur with verbal aspects directly and has to transform itself into mei first.