The Motivations of the Modern Chinese Verb-Copying Construction

The verb-copying construction is a particular type in modern Chinese, which occupies an important position in Chinese grammar and has attracted wide attention among scholars. Previous studies have done much work on its description and have reached some consensus, but there are still limitations in its explanation. This paper further explores the verb-copying construction from a construction grammar perspective, intending to provide a more focused and cognitively realistic explanation. It is found that the formation of the verb-copying construction is governed by both linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Linguistic motivations and non-linguistic motivations both play a role in its emergence and usage.