Scalar pseudo-cleft constructions in Mandarin conversation: A multimodal approach

Abstract

Scalar pseudo-cleft constructions (PCCs) in Mandarin involve degree adverbs, adjectives, etc., in the first part of the PCC where a scale is either implied or explicated (e.g., Wǒ zuì xǐhuān chī de shì …‘What I like to eat most is …’). This paper finds that scalar PCCs in Mandarin conversation serve a range of interactional functions depending on the type of micro-context in which they are deployed: from introducing an alternative topical item to contesting an opposing point of view. Structurally speaking, prosodic breaks can take place after the [Nominalization + Copula] chunk in casual contexts, whereas in more contentious exchanges, the entire PCC complex tends to form a unity. Moreover, all of the scalar PCCs analyzed are found to trigger some type of salient multimodal (visual/bodily and/or prosodic) features, depending on the kind of interactional actions they help construct. Finally, this paper discusses the implications of the multimodal approach to PCCs on a wide range of issues in PCCs and grammar-in/for-interaction in general.