Martin Centre for Appliable Linguistics- Shanghai Jiao Tong University

NEWS & EVENTS

Appliable Linguistics Seminar 35
(Seminar on Language Science and System Science 101)

Time: 16:00, 15 March 2017
Venue: #304, School of Foreign Languages
Speaker: Wang Pin

Paper Title: Structure and Functions of Implicit Subject in Chinese
Authors: Hsu Fu-mei (Yuanze University); Wang Pin (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
Abstract: This paper investigates the structure and functions of the implicit Subject in Chinese. Where there is an implicit Subject in a clause, the Complement is put in the initial position as the marked Theme. The implicit Subject structure is characteristic of Chinese, frequently occurring in standard modern Chinese, Old Chinese and Chinese dialects. With examples mainly from modern Chinese, this study aims at discussing the features of implicit Subject structure and the three metafunctions in relation to this structure. This paper consists of five parts. The first part is an introduction to the structure of implicit Subject in Chinese. The second to fourth parts address the three metafunctions of the implicit Subject, i.e. ideational, interpersonal and textual respectively. It is discovered that, ideationally, the implicit Subject structure has to do with the ‘locus language’ feature of Chinese; interpersonally, it gives rise to the negotiation space between addresser and addressee; textually, the implicit Subject thematises part of given information and realises cohesive relation. The final part brings the paper to a conclusion.