The post-verbal constituent in Chinese passive forms
汉语被动式中的补语
Xiaobo Ren 任小波

Abstract 摘要
Passive forms in contemporary Chinese require an obligatory post-verbal constituent, which was not required in ancient Chinese. This change has three possible explanations. The first one is the rapid development of the V-R structure. In ancient Chinese, what was needed to express a factitive meaning was the V-O structure, while today the V-R structure is the dominant one and R cannot be omitted. The second explanation is related to the aspect of passive verbs. Passive forms generally express the accomplished aspect, in which case the verb is marked by an aspectual particle. When a non-accomplished aspect verb is in the passive form, a post-verbal constituent is required in order to add the accomplished meaning. Consequently, either in the former or in the latter, the post-verbal constituent becomes indispensable. The last reason is that the R holds the key meaning in the V-R structure. Semantically speaking, V plays the role of manner circumstantial complement and R is the focus of the whole passive sentence. Thus, R is essential and cannot be deleted.

现代汉语中的被动式一般是需要有一个补语跟在动词后面。这似乎已经成为一个必要的条件。而古汉语的被动式却不需要这个成分呢。本文从三个方面来解释这句法现象。首先是V-R式的迅速发展。古汉语表达使动式只要用V-O就可以了，而现代汉语必须用V-R式。由于被动式不仅表达被动行为，更重要的是还表达被动行为所造成的结果。因此在V-R式的影响下，R是不可缺部分。其次是被动式动词的语态。被动式一般表达完成态。完成态动词一般后面跟一个完成态的标记。如果遇到未完成态动词，必需在这个动词后面加上某个补语成分，也就是说加上完成态的意义。因此，无论是完成态动词还是未完成态动词，补语成分都是不可缺的。最后是V-R式的讲义分析。从语义角度看，V起方式方法状语的作用，而R反而是句义中心所在。因此R是不可缺少的。

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