在此研究中，我們針對漢語tough-結構的「容易」跟「難」進行句法及語意上的分析。除了提出一致性的句法分析之外，我們也深入探討「容易」跟「難」其後方所能夠加接的謂語的限制。在典型的漢語tough-結構中，其分析方式為：主要主語由從屬子句賓語的位置透過「運符」(operator) 進行「非論元移位」(A’-movement)，移位至從屬子句的TP的位置，接著，由此處跟主要主語進行述謂結合 (predication)，如此一來，主要主語跟從屬子句內的賓語為共同指涉的關係。然而，我們發現，除了從屬子句的賓語之外，主要主語還可以是從屬子句的主語，甚至是從屬子句中的副詞性成分，這些發現都是先前研究所沒有提出討論的。因此，根據先前研究所採取的分析方式，我們提出無論是從屬子句中的賓語、主語，或是副詞性的成分，都可以藉由「運符」(operator) 進行「非論元移位」(A’-movement) 到從屬子句的TP位置，接著，由此處跟主要主語進行述謂結合 (predication)。我們所提出的分析方式不僅指出Wei (1993) 以及 Tao (2011) 的不足，也能完整的解釋所有的相關語料。此外，我們還提出「難」跟「容易」句式的不同在於：在「難」的句式中，有一個表層結構看不到的經驗者角色，而在「容易」的句式中，則沒有包含經驗者的角色。而「容易」後方所能夠加接的謂語則帶有「傾向」的語意，相反地，「難」後方所能夠加接的謂語則必須帶有「經驗」的語意成分。此外，我們也發現質詞「就」加插進某些特定的「容易」句式中會使句子合乎文法，這是因為「就」加插進句子後讓「很容易」變成一副詞性的成分，修飾其後方的動詞詞組。

In this work, we investigate the syntax and semantics of the rongyi ‘easy’ and nan ‘difficult’ constructions in Mandarin. We provide a unified syntactic analysis for the rongyi ‘easy’ and nan ‘difficult’ constructions, and further explain the selection restriction imposed on the predicates of the embedded clauses in the rongyi ‘easy’ and nan ‘difficult’ constructions. In typical Mandarin tough constructions, the matrix subject is co-indexed with the object of the embedded verb. In the previous studies, linguists postulates that this involves an operator undergoing A’-movement to the left edge of the embedded TP from where it is coindexed with the matrix subject. However, we find that the matrix subject can also be the subject or an adverbial element of the embedded clause. Thus, I suggest that in Mandarin tough constructions, the subject, object, and adverbial elements can be the empty operator in the embedded clause. Then, it undergoes A’-movement to the TP, from where it is predicated of the matrix subject. We also point out the deficiencies of Wei and Taos’ analyses, which focus on the embedded subject only. Besides, I propose that the nan ‘difficult’ construction is different from the rongyi ‘easy’ construction in that nan ‘difficult’ involves an experiencer argument. We also argue that rongyi ‘easy’ selects a complement that denotes a “tendency”, whereas nan ‘difficult’ selects a complement that denotes an “experiencing”. Furthermore, I discuss the particle jiu, as it makes certain ungrammatical rongyi-sentence grammatical.

Chapter 1 Introduction-----------------------------------1
Chapter 2 Literature Review -----------------------------7
1. Introduction -----------------------------------------7
2. Chomsky (1977, 1981) ---------------------------------9
3. Lü (1980) -------------------------------------------14
4. Wei (1993) ------------------------------------------18
5. Summary ---------------------------------------------28
Chapter 3 The Syntactic Structure of Rongyi and Nan Constructions ------------------------------------------31
1. Introduction ----------------------------------------31
2. Some New Observations -------------------------------33
3. The Syntactic Structure -----------------------------39
4. Summary ---------------------------------------------46
Chapter 4 Distinctions between Rongyi and Nan ----------47
1. Introduction ----------------------------------------47
2. The Experiencer Argument ----------------------------48
3. The Crucial Distinctions between Rongyi and Nan -----53
3.1 Rongyi ---------------------------------------------53
3.2 Nan ------------------------------------------------61
4. Jiu -------------------------------------------------73
5. Summary ---------------------------------------------81
Chapter 5 Conclusion -----------------------------------82
References ---------------------------------------------84

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