本文主要以語用的觀點來探討中文存在句中的有定限制(the Definiteness Effect)，並以聯合知識庫中的書面語資料為真實語料來源。本文以不被允許出現於存在句中的定指詞為研究範疇，檢視專有名詞、代名詞, 指示詞、全稱量化詞(universal quantifications)、most-NPs 和最高級詞語在真實語境中的使用情形。研究發現定指詞可出現於存在句中，且其最常出現的環境為附屬子句或是主要動詞之後的補語結構。此外，中文存在句可用來表達事物或是事件的存在，並允許舊訊息的表達。本文指出，有定限制是個誤稱，然而定指詞的使用並非毫無限制，主要限制是這類的存在句必須具有用來識別(identify)人或事物的功能，而非是介紹或呈現新的事物進入篇章中的存在句。另一方面，因為存在句允許表達舊訊息，而且功能上可用來吸引聽者的注意，本文提出中文存在句本身亦可成為主題結構，而非只限於主題引入的功能。

This study deals with the Definiteness Effect (DE) in Chinese you existential sentences from pragmatic perspectives and the scope is confined to the formal written style with discourse environments. The data used for analysis is the United Daily News Corpus and the data selection is restricted to the definite NPs which are considered unacceptable in you existential sentences: proper names, pronouns, demonstratives, universal quantifications, most-NPs, and superlative. The data for analysis in this study consist of 119 natural occurrences and the results reveal that definite NPs can occur in you existential sentences and the contexts where they appear consist of adjunct clauses and complement clauses embedded under the matrix verb. It is also observed that you existential sentences can assert the existence of entities or events and definite NPs can represent given information. I suggest that the Definiteness Effect is a misnomer and the restriction imposed on you existential sentences is derived from the non-application of “identification” in existential sentences. Definite NPs are only allowed in you existential sentences when they are used to identify the entities. If the postverbal NPs are to introduce or present the entities into the discourse, definite NPs are ruled out. In addition, it is argued that if the definite NPs are anaphoric and thus given information, they are used to draw the addressee’s attention to the presence of entities or events; namely, they serve as focusing topics. It seems odd to view them only as topic-introducing constructions.

ABSTRACT II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS III
LIST OF TABLES VI

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 STUDIES OF THE DEFINITENESS EFFECT IN EXISTENTIAL SENTENCES 1
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 8
1.3 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS 9
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 10
2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THERE-BE EXISTENTIAL SENTENCES 10
2.2 THE DEFINITENESS EFFECT IN THERE-BE EXISTENTIAL SENTENCES 12
2.2.1 The Definiteness Effect from a Syntactic Perspective 14
2.2.2 The Definiteness Effect from a Semantic Perspective 15
2.2.3 The Definiteness Effect from a Pragmatic perspective 24
2.2.4 There as a Strategy Assigning Focus 39
2.3 GENERAL PROPERTIES OF CHINESE YOU EXISTENTIAL SENTENCES 40
2.4 THE DEFINITENESS EFFECT IN CHINESE YOU EXISTENTIAL SENTENCES 42
2.4.1. The Definiteness Effect from a Syntactic Perspective 48
2.4.2. The Definiteness Effect from a Semantic Perspective 50
2.4.3 The Definiteness Effect from a Pragmatic Perspective 52
CHAPTER 3 CORPUS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 66
3.1 DATA ANALYSIS 66
3.2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 67
3.2.1 List Reading 68
3.2.2 Non-list Reading 78
3.2.2.1 Assertions of Entities and Events 87
3.2.2.2 You Sentences as Adjunct Clauses and Complement Clauses 89
3.2.2.3 Topic and Focus Constructions in You Sentences 93
CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION 103
4.1. CONCLUDING REMARKS 103
4.2 IMPLICATIONS 105
4.3 LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 106
REFERENCES 107
APPENDIX 111

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