疑问性if-分句与whether-分句的句法、语用差

论文摘要

本文对英语疑问性if/whether-分句在句法和语用两方面的差异进行比较。文章首先介绍了前人的研究成果,如Jespersen,Quirk,Radford等对疑问性if/whether-分句差异的研究,然后阐述相关的理论,包括X-bar理论、核查理论、移动理论、言语行为理论和语用预设理论。文章对疑问性if/whether-分句在句法方面的比较有:从if/whether的句法范畴,句法特性以及疑问性if/whether-分句的句法分布三方面阐述疑问性if/whether-分句的句法差异;通过图示分析if/whether在句法树形图中不同的范畴（whether在句法树形图中所占据位置的变化——从Complementizer位置到Spec-CP位置,而if一直占据Complementizer位置）,这不同的范畴导致其具有不同的句法特性,从而归纳出if/whether不同的句法特性,总结出造成差异的原因;指出疑问性if/whether-分句的句法分布（疑问性if-分句在句法树形图中只可作为complement of VP,而whether-分句除了可作为complement of VP外,还可以作为specifier of IP,complement of PP）。文章对疑问性if/whether-分句在语用方面的比较有:追溯if/whether用法的起源;用言语行为理论尝试性地讨论疑问性if/whether-分句的不同用法,通过间接疑问句表现间接言语行为时,通常用疑问性if-分句,而不用whether-分句;借助语料分析,发现一些动词后常跟whether-分句,很少跟if-分句;通过划分疑问性if/whether-分句的范畴（属于嵌入性选择疑问句还是属于嵌入性一般疑问句）,进行疑问性if/whether-分句种类的再讨论;借鉴近年来对疑问性if/whether-分句语用预设方面新的研究成果——if的倾向性和whether的非倾向性,进一步丰富疑问性if/whether-分句的语用差异。

论文目录

• Acknowledgements
• 摘要
• Abstract
• 前言
• 1 Introduction
• 1.1 The reason for and the significance of this topic
• 1.2 The structure of this thesis
• 2 Literature Review
• 2.1 Studies abroad
• 2.2 Studies at home
• 3 Theoretical Framework
• 3.1 X-bar theory
• 3.2 Checking theory
• 3.3 Head movement and Operator movement
• 3.3.1 Head movement
• 3.3.2 Operator movement
• 3.4 Speech act theory
• 3.5 Presupposition
• 4 Syntactic Differences between Interrogative if-clause and whether-clause
• 4.1 Differences of category between if and whether
• 4.1.1 The category of if
• 4.1.2 The category of whether
• 4.2 Different properties of if and whether
• 4.2.1 Properties of if
• 4.2.2 Properties of whether
• 4.2.3 A comparison between properties of if and whether
• 4.3 Different distributions of interrogative if-clause and whether-clause
• 4.3.1 As the specifier of IP
• 4.3.2 As the complement of VP
• 4.3.3 As the complement of PP
• 5 Pragmatic Differences between Interrogative if-clause and whether-clause
• 5.1 The different use of interrogative if-clause and whether-clause
• 5.1.1 The original use of if and whether
• 5.1.2 Preference of if-clause in reports of questions used as indirect speech acts
• 5.1.3 Perference of whether-clause after some matrix verbs
• 5.1.4 Difference of style of interrogative if-clause and whether-clause
• 5.2 Embedded alternative questions or embedded yes-no questions
• 5.3 "The Bias of if"and "the Non-Bias of whether"
• 5.3.1 The nature of difference
• 5.3.2 Presupposition of an embedded if-question
• 6 Conclusion
• References