英語同位語和定語從句中之中動結構

ENGLISH MIDDLE CONSTRUCTION IN APPOSITIVE AND DETERMINATIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES

該研究探討了英語中動名詞結構在定語從句和同位語從句中的差異。其基本假設是，除了相對從句的特徵外，中動結構的特徵也在確定其句子位置時發揮作用。來自COCA語料庫的數據顯示，中動結構經常出現在兩種相對從句，尤其是在句首和句末，而更多在句末。定語從句往往是無定，更常在句末，而同位語從句往往是有定，在句首和句末都常出現。結論是它們的出現通常由信息結構、確定性、信息量、議題中和句子階層來決定。信息量和議題中也影響了定語性從句的必要性。中動結構的獨特特性在於具有任意的施事，這不僅支持其於句首出現，還決定了上下文。這項研究被視為首次專注於具有特定句構的特定相對從句。

This study investigates the distinction between English middle constructions in determinative and appositive relative clauses. The objective is to examine the behavior of middles within subordinate clauses by analyzing their sentential positions and structural characteristics to identify influencing factors. The presence of an arbitrary agent and the pragmatically oriented structure of middles were found to influence their sentential positions. Data from the COCA corpus reveals frequent occurrences of middles in both types of relative clauses, particularly sentence-initially and sentence-finally, with a higher frequency at final positions. Determinatives, likely indefinite, are more common in final positions, while appositives, likely definite, occur frequently in both initial and final positions. The study concludes that the appearance of these constructions is primarily influenced by information structure, definiteness, informativeness, at-issueness, and clausal structure. Additionally, informativeness and at-issueness were found to affect the obligatoriness of determinative relative clauses. The distinctive feature of middles lies in the arbitrary agent, which not only facilitates their appearance sentenceinitially but also shapes the context. This study is the first comparative study of relative clauses with a specific sentence structure.