Abstract
The present study examines issues related to the grounding and specification of specific indefinite subject sentences.BR First, this study demonstrates that the aspect markers in Chinese word ending ‘了’ and sentence endings ‘了’, 过, 着, 在, 正在, 正’ which are semi-grounding. Specific indefinite subject sentences are reality sentences, and indefinite subject sentences that include these groundings generally indicate specifics of indefinite subjects. Furthermore, the verb-complement structure is not grounding, it is related to aspect, even when indefinite subject sentences include a verb-complement structure, they can be grounded.BR Second, this study analyzes how the specification of predicate verbs indirectly increase the identifiability of indefinite subjects through ‘type’ and ‘instance,’ two important concepts in grounding theory. Because the subject of a specific indefinite subject sentence is not the topic, the identifiability of the indefinite subject can be indirectly increased through the specification of the predicate verb. The verb concepts depends on the participant, and the specification of the predicate verb reduces the range of process instances and reduces the trajectory, in other words the range of instances in which it can receive the selection of the subject. However, the specification of the predicate verb may not indirectly increase the identifiability of the specified subject.BR Third, this study examines the location of indefinite subject sentence. Because the noun highlights the spatial domain, the identifiability of the subject can be effectively increased when the location is indicated. The location property usually appears in the adverbial of the noun phrase or at the end of the verb-complement structure to indicate the place of the subject. Furthermore, the verb-complement structure that can indicate both the status and process usually indicates the process in the specific indefinite subject sentence. In order to mark the status, it needs to have a syntactic constraint or contextual assistance.
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