本文主要研究中国学生对英语被动结构的习得，旨在解决他们在学习过程中遇到的英语动词可被动性问题。具体说来，动词own可以用于被动语态，have却不行。比如英语可以说The house is owned by John，而不能说The house is had by John。own和have虽都是及物动词，但是在被动结构中的表现却不尽相同。二者之间这一区别在外语课堂教学中老师通常并未传授给学生。因此，在没有接受这方面教育(negativeevidence)的情况下，学生能否习得到哪些动词可以、哪些动词又不可以用于被动结构呢?这正是本文要解决的问题。
通过分析英语的被动结构，作者利用语义结构理论(semantic structure theory)(Pinker l989)对上述问题做了深入的探讨。根据语义结构理论，作者认为在动词及其两个论元中一定存在着与动词可被动性相关联的意义成分。经分析发现，动词的宾语在被动过程中起决定性作用。因此提出了“宾语受作用”(Object Affected Condition)这一条件。该条件指出，只要动词宾语受到此动词动作的作用，无论是具体的、表面上的，

Preface by Professor Chuming WANG
Acknowledgments.
前言
Abstract
Chapter 1 Learnability and Language Learnin9
1.1 Introduction
1.2 The Learnability Problem of Language Acquisition
1.3 Leamability Considerations in Second Language Acquisition
1.4 Language Input
1.4.1 Positive Evidence
1.4.2 Negative Evidence
1.4.3 Negative Evidence in L2 Acquisition
1.5 Overgeneralization and Language Transfer
1.6 Thematic Hierarchy Condition
1.7 Transitivity Theory
1.7.1 The Transitivity Hypothesis
1.7.2 Morphosyntactic Reflexes of Transitivity
1.7.3 Criticisms of the Transitivity Hypothesis
1.8 Semantic Structure Theory
1.8.1 Conflafion and Semantic Structure
1.8.2 Passive in English
1.8.3 Limitations of Pinker’S Theory
1.9 Passivization as the Target of Research
1.10 Summary
Chapter 2 English Passivization
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Characteristics of Passive Construcfions
2.3 Transitivity and the Passire
2.4 The Active—Passive Alternation
2.4.1 Predication Effect
2.4.2 Agency Effect
2.5 Object Affected Condifion
2.6 English Passivizable Verbs
2.6.1 Canonical Action Verbs
2.6.2 Nonactional Verbs
2.6.3 Psych Verbs
2.7 English Non-Passivizable Verbs
2.8 Summary
Chapter 3 Crosslinguisfic Variation and Language Transfer
3.1 Introduction
3.2 A Comparative Study of Chinese Passivization
3.2.1 The B—Passive
3.2.2 The Nofional Passive
323 Argument Animacy and Verb Transitivity
3.2.4 The Role of Animacy and Its Effect on Passivization
3.3 Overpassivization of Unaccusative Verbs
3.4 Crosslinguistic Influences
3.5 Summary
Chapter 4 Testing Learners'Knowledge of the English Passive
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Study 1
4.2.1 Subjects
4.2.2 Materials
4.2.3 Procedure
4.2.4 Scoring
4.2.5 Results and Discussion
……
Chapter 5 General Discussion and Conclusions
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
References