On the 'N1 shi AV de N2': Sentences and Some Related Issues

From diachronic perspective, this paper attempts to proves that 'N1 shi AV de N2' sentences like Wo shi zuotian mai de piao are biclausal copulative constructions, while the 'S shi AV de O' sentences, such as Wo shi zuotian jin de cheng as monoclausal constructions, are further developments of the former. There is no evolutional movement between 'N1 shi AV de N2' and 'S shi AV de O'. The 'past time conversational implicature' of the two types of sentences is the [+Result] situational meaning of the respective verbal phrases. From 'N1 shi AV de N2' sentences to 'S shi AV de O' sentences, the 'past time conversational implicature' has undergone a process from situational meaning to constructional meaning. Adapted from the source document