An OT Analysis Of Priority Single Argument Format In Chinese Procedural Discourse

It is rare that research about Chinese procedural discourse,Tao hongyin(2007) made a preliminary exploration.Based on the study of Tao's thesis (2007),we further found that,the single argument format is a priority format which is in surface argument structure of chinses procedural discourse,it includes two formats:"NP+V"and "V+NP".On this basis,we choose the Optimality Theory account for the priority Single Argument Format. By observing and analyzing,the thesis analyzes the single argument format associating with syntax,pragmatic and discourse.The thesis attempts to summarize constraints about the single argument format in chiese procedural discourse.The constraints include preferred argument principle,topic chain principle,ecomomy principle,focus principle and syntax rule. By a large number of corpus analysis,the thesis concludes that the ranking of constraints is:MARKEDNESS> FAITHFULNESS topic chain principle> preferred argument principle> focus principle> ecomomy principle> syntax ruleAccording the ranking,each violation of a constraint is avoided,yet the violation of higher-ranked constraints is avoided more forcefully than the violation of lower-ranked constraints.Thus,the single argument is the most harmonic and optimal output form.This thesis is divided into five parts.Chapter one offers the origin of the study as well as necessity and significance of the study,and the origin of the corpus,thus showing the objectives and organization of the thesis.Chapter two introduces the relative current research. Chapter three discusses the argument structure in the procedural discourse and the features of the single argument as the basic format of the sentence. Chapter four is the part and parcel of this thesis,which tries to find interactive constraints responsible for the optimal processes of the output of the single argument format and gives an OT explanation of this kind of priority format in Chinese.Chapter five is the conclusion which restates this thesis,points out the implications and the limitations of the study and makes suggestions for further study.