Title

‘topic’, ‘Subject’ and Argument Selection in Chinese

Author

James H-Y. Tai

Genre

Article  

Pages

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Key words

topic, subject, object argument selection principle

Abstract

     This paper clarifies several confusing issues regarding the notions of ‘topic’, ’subject’, and ‘object’ in Chinese grammar, and thereby proposing a synactic analysis capable of making a clear three-way distinction among these three notions. This paper also modifies the principles of argument selection proposed by Dowty (1991) so that the selection of different types of arguments as ‘subject’, and ‘object in Chinese can properly be accounted for.