题目（英文）Cognitive Interpretation of English Emphatic Sentences
Based on Prominence View and Figure-ground Theory
题目（中文） 基于突显观和图形-背景理论的英语强调句的认知解读
Abstract
To learn emphatic sentences well, Chinese learners commonly connect syntax with semantics. After understanding the meanings and usages, they usually have to memorize the structures of emphatic sentences and try to master them by practicing and doing exercises as much as possible. Therefore, previous studies on emphatic sentences usually focus on aspects of syntax and semantics. Nevertheless, it is not the only way to learn emphatic sentences. Understanding semantics of emphatic sentences from the perspective of cognitive linguistics is another effective way to give Chinese learners a new and deep comprehension.
Figure-ground theory is an important part of cognitive linguistics. Its prominence principle is widely used to deal with prominent problems by explaining why people can single something out as a perceptually prominent figure from the ground when looking at an object in the environment. What’s more, the emphatic part in an emphatic sentence can be considered as the prominent figure that the speaker wants to focus on. Therefore, prominence view and figure-ground theory can just be used to explain emphatic parts well in emphatic sentences. This thesis is trying to explain emphatic sentences, including cleft sentences from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, and help Chinese students to get a better understanding in second language acquisition.
Keywords：emphatic sentences; figure-ground theory; prominence view
Contents
Abstract I
Contents I
Introduction 1
1. Introduction of prominence view and figure-ground theory 2
2. The emphasis in emphatic sentences 2
2.1 Stressed words in a sentence 3
2.2 The emphasis of words 3
2.3 The emphasis based on sentence patterns 3
3.Cognitive Interpretation of English Emphatic Sentences....... 5
3.1 Salience function of emphatic sentences 5
3.1.1 Salience function because of adjunct words 5
3.1.2 Salience function because of prominent places 6
3.2 Cognitive interpretation of emphatic sentences based on figure- ground theory
6
4. The change of prominence 7
5 .Conclusion 8
References 10
