A Contrastive Study of Complex Predicates in Japanese and Chinese : Grammatical Properties of Verb-Verb Complex Predicates in Chinese

This paper examines on the linguistic differences between verb-verb complex predicates in Japanese and Chinese. In both languages, they can be categorized into three types: serial action complex predicates, auxiliary verb complex predicates, and purposive complex predicates. Analysis of the verb-verb complex predicates of the two languages showed the following: 1) All three types of Chinese complex predicates allow a noun phrase to be inserted between the two component verbs, while a noun phrase can be inserted only in serial action and in purposive types of Japanese complex predicates; 2) Particles can be placed between the two component verbs in serial action and auxiliary verb types of Chinese complex predicates, while all the three types of Japanese complex predicates allow particle insertion; 3) In negative sentences, the scope of negation is only the latter element of Chinese complex predicates, while either the whole complex predicates or the former element can be negated in Japanese complex predicates; 4) From the answers tointerrogative sentences, the independence of the component verbs in Chinese complex predicates is stronger than that in Japanese