I’m a theoretical linguist working on syntax, semantics and the syntax-semantics interface.
My research focuses on the argument structure of resultatives in Mandarin and other East Asian languages.
Here is a list of my ongoing research projects:
Mandarin resultatives
Why are Mandarin resultatives so flexible in their argument realisation patterns?
(1)
陶陶追累了友友.
Táotáo zhuī-lèi-le Yǒuyǒu.
Taotao chase-tired-PFV Youyou
(a) ‘Taotao chased Youyou and Youyou got tired.’
(b) ‘Taotao chased Youyou and Taotao got tired.’
(c) ‘Youyou chased Taotao and Youyou got tired.’
(Li 1995)
Thai resultatives
Why do Thai resultatives appear to violate the Direct Object Restriction?
(2)
ธนาขี่ม้าเหนื่อย
tʰánaː kʰìː máː nɨàj
Thana ride horse tired
(a) ‘The horse became tired as a result of Thana riding it.’
(b) ‘Thana became tired as a result of riding the horse.’
(adapted from Sudmuk 2005)
Mandarin reciprocals
How do Mandarin reciprocals like hùxiāng give rise to scope ambiguity?
(3)
罗密欧和朱丽叶认为[他们互相喜欢]。
Luómìōu hé Zhūlìyè rènwéi [tāmen hùxiāng xǐhuān].
Romeo and Juliet think they HUXIANG like
(a) ‘Romeo and Juliet each think: “We like each other.”
(b) ‘Romeo thinks: “I like Juliet” and Juliet thinks: “I like Romeo”.’