A Study Of Determinative Sentence From The Perspective Of Register Grammar

The purpose of this paper is to establish a systematic correspondence between the form and function of Chinese determinative sentences,then to provide a new linguistic fact in syntax for the study of register grammar.This paper is based on the theory of register grammar system established by Feng Shengli,and the research object is Chinese determinative sentences taking a judging verb as predicate and having the functions of identity,genus and judging between the subject and the object,which include“Shi”(是)sentence,“Wei”(为)sentence,“Xing”(姓)sentence,“Ji”(即)sentence,“Xi”(系)sentence,“Dang”(当)sentence,“Dangzuo”(当做)sentence,“Cheng”(称)sentence,“Chengwei”(称为)sentence,“Jiao”(叫)sentence,“Jiaozuo”(叫做)sentence,the unmarked determinative sentence.At the macro level,this paper analyses the register classification of Chinese determinative sentences and at the microscopic level,analyses the formality of each sentences,and at the same time,makes clear the characteristics of factors affecting the degree of formality.At last,according to prototype theory,this paper establishes a preliminary continuum of its register in modern Chinese determinative sentences.Through the research,the discovery of this article includes the following three points:(1)In any determinative sentences,“Shi”(是)sentence is the worst in terms of register function uniformity.On the register continuum,From informal style to formal style in written register,there are sub-categories of distribution.In“Shi”(是)sentence,the sentences with the function of definition have a high degree of formality and is a typical structure of written formal style,while,the sentences representing simple equivalence are less formal,and tend to be informal style with the decrease of semantic abstraction of components.“Wei”(为)sentence,“Ji”(即)sentence,“Xi”(系)sentence,“Chengwei”(称为)sentence tend to be formal written language,and“Xi”(系)sentence belongs to elegant style,is highest degree of formality.The register function uniformity is also worse of"wei"(为)sentence and"Chengwei"(称为)sentence,but in general there is a shift from general to written formal.The sentence with nominal predicate,“Xing”(姓)sentence,“Dang”(当)sentence,“Dangzuo”(当做)sentence,“Cheng”(称)sentence,“Jiao”(叫)sentence,“Jiaozuo”(叫做)sentence tend to be informal style and the unmarked determinative sentence is a typical informal structure of spoken language.(2)the register characteristics that affect the formal degree of modern Chinese determinative sentences include terporal structure,degree of integration of components(including semantic abstraction degree,grammatical structure,slang use,ancient and modern level,prosodic feature),referential nature and subjectivity.The phase structure of Judgment verbs directly contacting with spatiotemporal informationin in time structure plays a fundamental role in the degree of space-time generalization of sentences.The degree of semantic abstraction of sentence components and the type of grammatical structure ultimately determine the phase structure and the degree of space-time generalization of the whole sentence and plays a decisive role in considering the formality of a sentence.Tense structure and aspect structure in time structure,slang use,ancient and modern level,prosodic feature,the referential and subjective factors are the local influencing factors,which are not necessary.At the same time,these register features have the characteristics of multi-value,interactivity,imbalance and relevance.(3)This paper establishs a preliminary register continuum of modern Chinese assertive sentences.The continuum consists of two typical register categories:informal style in spoken language and formal style in written register,sub-typical register category of elegant style,and nearly typical universal register category between informal style and formal style.Different types of determinative sentences in modern Chinese show a continuous distribution and a systematic correspondence with the corresponding register functions...