Abstract
Analytic causative constructions with 使 shǐ ‘make’ and 让 ràng ‘make, let’, commonly used as [NP1 + SHI/RANG + NP2 + VP], are canonical constructions in Mandarin. Previous scholarship has rarely compared the interactions between the two constructions and the verbs in the VP slot. This study fills this gap by using a collostructional analysis. The prototypical verbs, prototypical constructional meanings and distinctive verbs are investigated. It is found that 1) The prototypical verbs used in SHI construction are change-of-state and change-of-possession verbs, whose constructional meaning refers to the change of NP2 in quantity or quality under the effect of NP1; for RANG construction, its prototypical verbs are psychological verbs and verbs of getting information, and its constructional meaning refers to NP2’s perception of something under the influence of NP1; 2) The 17 distinctive verbs for SHI construction are change-of-possession verbs, existential verbs, motion verbs, verbs of phenomenon, change-of-state verbs, verbs of physical manipulation and creation; the 14 distinctive verbs for RANG construction are change-of-state verbs, psychological verbs, verbs of getting information, intellectual verbs and change-of-possession verbs. Although there is overlap in verb categories, the specific verbs which have different preferences for the two constructions are significantly different.
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