Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1The ResearchTopic 1
1.1.1 Middle Voice and Middle Construction 1
1.1.2 Middle Constructions： An Overview 4
1.2 Significance of the Study 7
1.2.1 Peculiarities of Middle Constructions 7
1.2.2 Divergences in the Study of Middle Constructions 8
1.2.3 The Linking Problem in Middle Constructions 9
1.2.4 Typological Motivations 9
1.3 Goals of the Study 10
1.4 Organization of the Book 10
Chapter 2 Delimitation of Middle Constructions 13
2.1 Defining Middle Constructions Across Languages 13
2.1.1 Syntactic Properties of Middle Constructions 13
2.1.1.1 Active Morphology with Non-agentive Subject 14
2.1.1.2 Tense and Aspect 16
2.1.1.3 Adverbial Modification 16
2.1.2 Semantic Properties of Middle Constructions 17
2.1.2.1 Genericity 17
2.1.2.2 Noneventiveness 18
2.1.2.3 Modality 21
2.1.2.4 Implicit Argument 22
2.1.3 Middle Constructions and Related Constructions 25
2.1.3.1 Middles vs.Reflexives 25
2.1.3.2 Middles vs.Passives 26
2.1.3.3 Middles vs.Ergatives 27
2.1.3.4 Middles vs.Tough-Constructions 29
2.2 Defining Chinese Middle Constructions 31
2.2.1 The Scope of Chinese Middle Constructions 31
2.2.1.1 The Middle Status of NP＋V-qilai Constructions 31
2.2.1.2 Non-middle Status of NP＋V-qilai Constructions 34
2.2.1.3 Notional Passives as Middle Constructions 35
2.2.1.4 Patient-subject Constructions as Middle Constructions 37
2.2.2 Chinese Middle Constructions and Related Constructions 39
2.2.2.1 Middle Constructions vs.Passive Constructions 39
2.2.2.2 Middle Constructions vs.Topic Constructions 43
2.2.2.3 Middle Constructions vs.Ergative Constructions 50
2.2.2.4 Middle Constructions vs.Nanyi-Constructions 51
2.3 Reclassification of Middle Constructions of English and Chinese 54
2.3.1 Evaluative Middle Constructions 55
2.3.2 Descriptive Middle Constructions 56
2.4 Summary 59
Chapter 3 Previous Studies of Middle Constructions 61
3.1 The Generative Approach to Middle Constructions 61
3.1.1 Syntactic Accounts 62
3.1.1.1 Keyser＆Roeper 62
3.1.1.2 Hoekstra＆Roberts 64
3.1.1.3 Stroik 64
3.1.1.4 Problems in Syntactic Accounts 66
3.1.2 Lexical Accounts 69
3.1.2.1 Fagan 70
3.1.2.2 Ackema＆Schoorlemmer 71
3.1.2.3 Chung’s Causative Approach 73
3.1.2.4 Problems in Lexical Accounts 74
3.1.3 A Mixed Approach 76
3.1.3.1 Lekakou 76
3.1.3.2 Marelj 77
3.1.3.3 Problems in the Mixed Approach 78
3.1.4 InterfaceAccounts 78
3.1.4.1 Interface Accounts in the Minimalist Program 79
3.1.4.2 Hale＆Keyser 80
3.1.4.3 Problems in Interface Accounts 82
3.2 The Cognitive Approach to Middle Constructions 82
3.2.1 Langacker 83
3.2.2 The Prototype Approach 85
3.2.3 Problems in Cognitive Accounts 88
3.3 The Functional Approach to Middle Constructions 89
3.3.1 Halliday and Davidse 89
3.3.2 The Functional-Cognitive Approach 89
3.3.3 Problems in Functional Accounts 92
3.4 The Study of Chinese Middle Constructions 93
3.4.1 The Generative Study of Chinese Middle Constructions 93
3.4.2 The Cognitive Study of Chinese Middle Constructions 95
3.4.3 Problems in the Study of Chinese Middle Constructions 95
3.5 Summary 96
Chapter 4 Theoretical Framework： An Integrated Syntax-Semantics Interface 99
4.1 Where Is the Syntax-Semantics Interface？ 99
4.1.1 Thematic Roles 100
4.1.2 Event Structure in Lexical Semantics 104
4.1.2.1 Vendler’s Event Classification 104
4.1.2.2 Other Major Theories of Event Structure 105
4.1.2.3 Comments on Event Structure in Lexical Semantics 110
4.1.3 Event Structure in the Syntactic Approach 112
4.2TheTripartite Parallel Architecture 114
4.2.1 Simpler Syntax 114
4.2.2 Conceptual Semantics 117
4.3 An Integrated Syntax-Semantics Interface 118
4.3.1 The Interface of Event Structure 119
4.3.2 The Interface of Qualia Structure 122
4.3.3 The Interface of Information Structure 125
4.3.4 A Model of Integrated Syntax-Semantics Interface 127
4.4 Summary 127
Chapter 5 English Middle Constructions 129
5.1 Classification of English Evaluative Middle Constructions 129
5.1.1 Prototypical Middles vs.Non-prototypical Middles 129
5.1.2 Semantic Classification of Middles 130
5.1.3 Obligatory-adverbial Middles vs.Optional-adverbial Middles 131
5.1.4 Simple Middles vs.Complex Middles in Tense and Aspect 132
5.2 English Evaluative Middles at the Integrated Interface 132
5.2.1 Event Structure Accounts of English Evaluative Middles 132
5.2.1.1 The Event Schema of English Evaluative Middles 133
5.2.1.2 Event Accounts for Implicit Argument 135
5.2.1.3 Event Accounts for Non-agentive Subject 136
5.2.1.4 Event Accounts for Selection Restrictions of Verbs 138
5.2.1.5 Event Accounts for Selection Restrictions of Adverbials 142
5.2.2 Qualia Structure Accounts of English Evaluative Middles 144
5.2.2.1 Long-standing Puzzles in Middle Formation 145
5.2.2.2 Accounts for Puzzles in Middle Formation 146
5.2.3 Information Structure Accounts of English Evaluative Middles 149
5.2.3.1 Newsworthiness and Adjuncts 150
5.2.3.2 Topic and Focus and Argument Realization 152
5.3 Classification of English Descriptive Middle Constructions 153
5.3.1 Passival Middles 153
5.3.2 Habitual Middles 154
5.4 English Descriptive Middles at the Integrated Interface 155
5.4.1 Event Structure Accounts of English Descriptive Middles 155
5.4.2 Qualia Structure Accounts of English Descriptive Middles 156
5.4.3 Information Structure Accounts of English Descriptive Middles 157
5.5 Relations Between Evaluative and Descriptive Middles 157
5.6 Summary 158
Chapter 6 Chinese Middle Constructions 161
6.1 The Structure of Chinese Evaluative Middles 161
6.1.1 The Structural Parsing of V-qilai Middles 161
6.1.2 The Grammatical Status of V-qilai and AP 164
6.1.2.1 Adjunct Analysis 164
6.1.2.2 Middle Hypothesis 166
6.1.2.3 Secondary Predicate Hypothesis 168
6.1.2.4 NP＋Predicate＋Complement 170
6.1.3 The Grammatical Function of Qilai in V-qilai Middles 172
6.2 Chinese Evaluative Middles at the Integrated Interface 176
6.2.1 Event Structure Accounts of V-qilai Middles 176
6.2.1.1 The Event Schema of V-qilai Middles 176
6.2.1.2 Event Accounts for Implicit Argument 177
6.2.1.3 Event Accounts for Non-agentive Subject 178
6.2.1.4 Event Accounts for Selection Restrictions of Verbs 179
6.2.1.5 Event Accounts for Selection Restrictions of AP 183
6.2.2 Qualia Structure Accounts of V-qilai Middles 185
6.2.3 Information Structure Accounts of V-qilai Middles 187
6.2.4 A Comparison Between V-qilai Middles and Nanyi-middles 188
6.3 Syntactic and Semantic Features of Chinese Descriptive Middles 190
6.3.1 Syntactic Features of Descriptive Middles 190
6.3.2 Semantic Features of Descriptive Middles 194
6.4 Chinese Descriptive Middles and the Integrated Interface 197
6.4.1 Event Structure Accounts of Descriptive Middles 197
6.4.1.1 The Event Schema of Descriptive Middles 197
6.4.1.2 Event Accounts for Selection Restrictions of Predicate 199
6.4.2 Qualia Structure Accounts of Descriptive Middles 204
6.4.3 Infonnation Structure Accounts of Descriptive Middles 208
6.5 Relations Between Evaluative and Descriptive Middles 209
6.6 Summary 210
Chapter 7 Typological Accounts of Middle Constructions 211
7.1 Differences Between English and Chinese Middle Constructions 211
7.1.1 Productivity 211
7.1.2 Sensitivity to the Constraints of Middle Formation 214
7.1.3 Context-dependency 216
7.2Typological Accounts for the Differences 217
7.2.1 Subject-prominence vs.Topic-prominence 217
7.2.1.1 Subject and Topic in English and Chinese 218
7.2.1.2 Topic in English Middle Constructions 219
7.2.1.3 Topic in Chinese Middle Constructions 220
7.2.2 Flexibility of Argument Realization 221
7.2.2.1 Unselectiveness of Arguments 221
7.2.2.2 Specific Lexicalization Pattern of Verbs 223
7.2.3 Tense-prominence vs.Aspect-prominence 224
7.3 Summary 226
Chapter 8 Conclusions 229
8.1 Major Findings of This Study 229
8.2 Implications of This Study 231
8.3 Suggestions for Future Study 232
Bibliography 233