Based on the internal/external grounding strata theory of cognitive grammar,this paper investigates the usage fea-tures of the SEEM-type predicates seem/haoxiang(好像)/sihu(似乎)in English and Chinese through multiple correspon-dence analysis.The results show that the three predicates can all take higher-level grounding function,but their conceptual prototypes are different from each other,conveying different functional preference in evidentiality and modality.When playing clausal-external grounding function,seem is more inclined to use impersonal constructions than its Chinese counterparts,to in-dicate inference or hearsay.When used clausal-internally,however,haoxiang(好像)is more frequently used in AP-and VP-complement constructions,expressing the speakers'inference based on perception,while sihu(似乎)is more frequently used in VP-complement constructions,denoting the speakers'inference based on logic.haoxiang(好像)and sihu(似乎)are much closer in usage,in comparison with seem.These distinctions are highly related to their different capacities in encoding experiencers,impersonal constructions and constructional flexibility in English and Chinese.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
