<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study shows that the temporal interpretation of Mandarin bare clauses is fully underspecified when these clauses describe scheduled, preprogrammed events. The paper defines the key syntactic properties of such bare clauses and their context of use. On the basis of this definition, the paper proposes that these clauses are copular constructions, which in all relevant respects behave like regular copular constructions. Bare clauses contain a subject and a predicate, related by the (sometimes covert) copula <italic>shì</italic>, expressing a paired relation between them. The fact that bare clauses have a simple predicative structure underlyingly is further supported by observations from the realm of gapping and negation. Crucially, it is proposed that there is no temporal projection immediately above the verb phrase in these sentences. The underspecification of the temporal interpretation is accordingly accounted for.</p>
</abstract>

This study shows that the temporal interpretation of Mandarin bare clauses is fully underspecified when these clauses describe scheduled, preprogrammed events. The paper defines the key syntactic properties of such bare clauses and their context of use. On the basis of this definition, the paper proposes that these clauses are copular constructions, which in all relevant respects behave like regular copular constructions. Bare clauses contain a subject and a predicate, related by the (sometimes covert) copula shì, expressing a paired relation between them. The fact that bare clauses have a simple predicative structure underlyingly is further supported by observations from the realm of gapping and negation. Crucially, it is proposed that there is no temporal projection immediately above the verb phrase in these sentences. The underspecification of the temporal interpretation is accordingly accounted for.

Temporally Underspecified Bare Clauses in Mandarin

Studies in Chinese Linguistics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Temporally Underspecified Bare Clauses in Mandarin"}

This study shows that the temporal interpretation of Mandarin bare clauses is fully underspecified when these clauses describe scheduled, preprogrammed events....

Temporally Underspecified Bare Clauses in Mandarin

Published Online: Jun 30, 2021

Page range: 1 - 27

Received: Jan 15, 2020

Accepted: Jun 22, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/scl-2021-0001

Keywords
bare clause, schedule, temporal underspecification, simple predication

© 2021 Hang Cheng, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Temporally Underspecified Bare Clauses in Mandarin

Published Online: Jun 30, 2021

Page range: 1 - 27

Received: Jan 15, 2020

Accepted: Jun 22, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/scl-2021-0001

Keywordsbare clause, schedule, temporal underspecification, simple predication

© 2021 Hang Cheng, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
bare clause, schedule, temporal underspecification, simple predication