Search

This study investigates the rangclauses in modern mandarin Chinese from the Cardiff Grammar approach with the aim to answer a central question concerning the clauses, i.e., what are the syntactic functions of rangin the clauses? After reviewing previous studies and clarifying the basic notions established in the Cardiff Grammar, the study analyzes and discusses the syntax of the generally recognized four types of the clauses with the objective to match semantic functions to syntactic elements. The study shows that when rangexpresses “concession,” it functions as a main verb, which expounds the Predicator of the clause; when it means “causation,” it is a causative verb, which expresses an “influential process,” with the nominal group following rangas the Subject of the embedded clause; whenrangis equal to Chinese “bei,” it is a preposition, whose function is to introduce the Agent of the action and syntactically it together with its following nominal group forms a prepositional group, expounding the Complement of the clause; when rangexpresses “wishes,” it functions as a Mood marker and syntactically it is analyzed as the direct element of the clause, i.e., Let Element.