英语定语从句的图式认知机制研究

Research on Attributive Clauses from the Perspective of Construction Grammar

定语从句是英语语法系统中重要的组成部分,传统英语语法学家将其分为限制性定语从句与非限制性定语从句两个类型,但这一分类似乎没有真正触及其本质特征。本文拟在构式语法理论框架下,从意象图式角度对两类定语从句的认知机制进行剖析并试图厘清两者在意象图式、构式义上的差异,为定语从句研究与教学起一定的启示作用。

Within the traditional grammar, it is taken for granted that the attributive clauses can be categorized into two types—restrictive attributive type and non-restrictive attributive type respectively, but such a categorization has long been controversial in language studies. In this paper, the co-authors resort to Construction Grammar as a new perspective and take both restrictive attributive clauses and non-restrictive attributive clauses as two different constructions equipped with different image schemas, namely pairing of form and meaning. Thus it is claimed that restrictive attributive clauses are based on a partwhole relation while non-restrictive attributive clauses on a whole-whole one. It is hoped that our research will be of some help or implication for the foreign language research and teaching concerning attributive clauses.