A Cognitive Research Of English Ditransitive Construction Based On Construction Grammar

As a significant language phenomenon,ditransitive construction,which is a form-meaning pairing with systematic implications,has been attached great importance by distinguished researchers and outstanding scholars at home and abroad.Based on the literature review,previous explorations of ditransitive construction are primarily from perspectives of structuralism,transformational-generative grammar and cognitive linguistics.With the tremendous and substantial achievements,there do exist certain deficiencies and shortcomings as well.To be specific,structural approach ignores the influence of semantic factors,while emphasizes on the formalized description of ditransitive construction;transformational-generative grammar neglects the research of atypical members,while focuses attention on the transformational relationship between prototypical ditransitive construction and dative construction;from the perspective of cognitive linguistics,researchers have realized the nonnegligible effect of semantic factors with the marginal members taken into consideration,however,the investigation from cognitive approach is still at the primary stage,with systematicness and comprehensiveness of the research to be optimized.Therefore,based on Goldberg’s construction grammar,this thesis is intended to make a qualitative analysis of English ditransitive construction with the application of Prototype Theory and metaphorical-metonymic mechanism.Different from relevant researches of cognitive approach,this thesis mainly explores the semantic characteristics of arguments and the interactive relationship among arguments involved in one ditransitive construction.After a comprehensive and thorough investigation of ditransitive construction,this thesis concludes that:(1)When it comes to the prototypical argument structure of ditransitive construction,both the agent and the recipient are virtually animate beings with volitionality,which are inherently willing to offer or receive;what is more,the patient,which is generally represented by an inanimate being,is supposed to be a concrete,touchable and three-dimensional object that can be possessed by human beings;and the interactive relationship among arguments is usually the rightward transfer of patient.(2)As for the atypical argument structure of ditransitive construction,both the agent and the recipientcan be represented by inanimate beings without volitionality;patient may be abstract conceptions,such as physical action,subjective feeling and even message or information;and the interactive relationship among arguments can be achieved by the leftward transfer or zero transfer of the patient.Further more,the innovations of this thesis fall into the following aspects:(1)The thesis develops a cognitive methodology of ditransitive construction.Besides,it also proves the explanatory power of construction grammar itself.(2)Based on the analysis of the constructional implication “cause-transfer”,the transferred direction of patient and the interactive relationship among arguments,this thesis makes a prototypical classification of ditransitive construction,which is in accordance with the cognitive mode of human beings to a large extent.(3)As for practical value,this thesis explores the teaching methods of English constructions,while revealing the essential characteristics of argument structure.Hopefully,it will benefit for language learners to efficiently acquire the basic constructions in English from certain theoretical aspect as well as enhance the communicative capability of individual.