Acknowledgements
Abstract
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Need for investigating L2 acquisition of English raising verbs
1.2 Definition of raising predicates
1.3 Difficulties encountered in the acquisition of raising predicates by language learners
1.4. Key research questions
1.5 Contents of the remaining chapters
Chapter 2 Conceptualizing the Acquisition of English Predicates——Theoretical Foundations
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Theoretical foundation for the analysis of raising predicates
2.2.1 Justification for adopting a generative approach in the present study
2.2.2 Principles on the semantics-syntax interface of the verb
Chapter 3 The Linguistic Features of English Raising Predicates
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The semantics of English raising predicates: Delimitation of the concept
3.2.1 seem/appear
3.2.2 happen and appear
3.2.3 turn out
3.3 The syntactic structures of raising verbs.
3.4 The unique syntactic features of raising verbs
3.4.1 Constraints on the subject of raising verbs in non-raising construction
3.4.2 Animacy of the subject in the raising construction
3.4.3 The morphosyntactic environments of raising verbs
3.4.4 The property of the verb in the complement
3.5 Differences between raising and control constructions
3.6 Formulating the one-clausal-argument linking rules of raising verbs
Chapter 4 Cross-linguistic Analysis of English and Chinese Raising Predicates.
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Research on Chinese raising verbs
4.2.1 Aspectual verbs
4.2.2 Epistemic modal verbs
4.2.3 Tough verbs.
4.2.4 Frequency verbs
4.3 A comparison between Chinese and English raising predicates
Chapter 5 Theories on Verb Acquisition in L1 and L2
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Early mapping theories in L1 verb acquisition: Lists of primitive thematic roles
5.3 Current theories
5.3.1 The Semantic Bootstrapping Hypothesis
5.3.2 Syntactic bootstrapping hypothesis.
5.3.3 A Reconciliation Model
5.4 The applicability of L1 theories on L2 acquisition of verbs.
5.5 Empirical studies on the acquisition of English raising verbs
5.5.1 Beckers studies on L1 acquisition of English raising verbs
5.5.2 Comments on Beckers studies
5.5.3 Callies (2005) study on German learners of English
5.5.4 Comments on Callies study
Chapter 6 An Integrated Parsing Model of L2 English Raising Predicate Acquisition
6.1 Introduction
6.2 The linguistic aspects of raising verbs-A summary
6.3 An Integrated Parsing Model of English raising predicate acquisition
6.4 The central issue of the research
6.5 Variables influencing the acquisition of English raising verbs by Chinese EFL learners
6.5.1 L1 influence
6.5.2 A movement
6.5.3 Animacy of the subject and evenfivity of the embedded verb
6.6 Research hypotheses
Chapter 7 Research Design, Instrumentation, Data Collection and Data Analysis
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Investigative approact
7.3 Participants.
7.4 Instrumentation
7.4.1 Test words
7.4.2 Grammaticality judgment task (GJT)
7.4.3 Guided writing task (GWT)
7.4.4 Think-aloud task (TAT)
7.5 Data-collection procedures
7.5.1 Administration of GWT
7.5.2 Administration of TAT
7.5.3 Administration of GIT
7.6 Data analysis
7.6.1 Coding and scoring GWT data
7.6.2 Scoring GJT data
7.6.3 Statistical analysis of GWT and GJT data
7.6.4 Coding of TAT data
7.7 Learners sensitivity to the syntactic features of control verbs
Chapter 8 Results of Research Hypothesis Testing
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Results for Hypothesis I
8.2.1 Testing Hypothesis 1 through GJT
8.2.2 Testing Hypothesis 1 through GWT
8.3 Results for Hypothesis 2
8.3.1 Testing Hypothesis 2 through GJT
8.3.2 Testing Hypothesis 2 through GWT
8.4 Results for Hypothesis 3
8.4.1 Testing Hypothesis 3 through GJI
8.4.2 Testing Hypothesis 3 through GWT
8.5 Results for Hypothesis 4
8.5A Testing Hypothesis 3 through GJT
8.5.2 Testing Hypothesis 4 through GWI
8.6 Results for Hypothesis 5
8.6.1 Testing Hypothesis 5 through GJT
8.6.2 Testing Hypothesis 5 through GWT
8.7 Acquisition of syntactic features not included in the testing of research hypothesis
……
Chapter 9 Results of Online Parsing Processes of Raisin Constructions
Chapter 10 General Discussion
Chapter 11 Conclusions,Implications,Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research