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A Functional Contrastive Analysis of Light Verbs in Chinese and English
FENG Guoxin
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DOI:10.17265/1539-8080/2026.08.001
Guangdong Baiyun University, Guangzhou, China
From the perspective of language functions, this paper systematically compares and analyzes the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic functional differences of light verbs in Chinese and English. The study finds that: (a) in terms of syntactic function, English light verbs have obligatory overt argument requirements, while Chinese light verbs demonstrate greater flexibility in argument realization; (b) in terms of semantic function, English light verbs primarily serve grammatical marking functions, whereas Chinese light verbs possess both grammatical and lexical functions; and (c) in terms of pragmatic function, light verbs in both languages exhibit different tendencies in register selection and information structure. This paper combines corpus data for statistical analysis, providing empirical support for the above viewpoints. The research conclusions have important theoretical value and practical significance for deepening Chinese-English contrastive linguistics theory and guiding foreign language teaching and translation practice.
light verb, Chinese-English contrast, syntactic function, semantic function, pragmatic function
FENG Guoxin. A Functional Contrastive Analysis of Light Verbs in Chinese and English. US-China Foreign Language, August 2026, Vol. 24, No. 8, 277-285 10.17265/1539-8080/2026.08.001
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