Verb Complement in Classical Chinese and its Implications as Revealed by the Particle 以
[译]：助(虚)词 “以” 所显示的古汉语动词补语及其含义
Frank F. S. Hsueh

Abstract 摘要

1. INTRODUCTION
It has long been noticed that “word order” plays a crucial role in Chinese syntax, both modern and classical. Its syntactic implication is that, in an endocentric construction, the modifier always precedes the modified, while on the sentence level, the subject precedes the predicate and the verb or co-verb precedes the object. When we consistently and vigorously apply this fundamental principle in our analysis of the ancient texts, we often have a better chance of getting the correct, or at least a more appropriate, interpretation for a certain text in question, and acquiring subsequently a better understanding of the nature of Classical Chinese syntax in general. There are, however, some cases in Classical Chinese where the above principle seems to have been violated, particularly in connection with the particle 以 yi. In this paper, I choose to argue that this seeming violation is a phenomenon on a lower level by reevaluation the concept of “verb complement” in its syntax. I shall further argue that, once we accept this type of construction as a verb complement in Classical Chinese syntax, we shall be able to not only provide a reasonable explanation for the seeming violation of the word order principle, but also rectify two misconception held by most scholars of Classical Chinese grammar: first, regarding the co-verb以, the particle of instrumentality, as a conjunction on the same level as 而er and 則ze and, second, calling such syntactic patterns as 可 ke-V, 足 zu-V, 難 nan-V and 易 yi-V passive constructions.

2. SOME CRUCIAL FEATURES OF CLASSICAL CHINESE
2.1 Style Is Conversational
2.2 Subject and Predicate Can Be Viewed as Topic and Comment
2.3 Subject Is Not Always Required
2.4 A Sentence Can Function as a Predicate
2.5 Grammatical Particles Are Sometimes Omitted

3. THE WORD ORDER PRINCIPLE AND 以 AS A FULL VERB
3.1 Why 以 Is Not Always a Preposition
3.2 The Grammatical Roles of 以 Redefined

4. VERB COMPLEMENT (VC) CONSTRUCTION AND 以 AS A CO-VERB
4.1 Verb Complement Construction
4.2 The 以 Phrase and Verb Complement Construction
4.3 Problems with Identifying a VC Construction

5. VC CONSTRUCTION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
5.1 Conjunction
5.2 Passivity

6. SUMMARY