The nature of chinese emphatic sentences

Chinese emphatic sentences are usually referred to asshi...de constructions. Contrary to common assumptions,de should not be analyzed as a nominalizer andshi not a copula in emphatic sentences. It is argued in this paper thatshi is a modal verb and the primary marker of emphatic sentences whilede only has a secondary function, most likely as an aspect marker. Emphaticshi cannot appear in the main clause of a relative clause nor can it co-occur in the same clause with a WH-element or a V-not-V verb unless the WH-element is being emphasized orshi takes the V-not-V form.Shi cannot c-command WH-elements or V-not-V verbs that have a scope over it, either. The distribution of emphaticshi in relative clauses is regulated by the Spec-head agreement; and its distribution in WH-questions and A-not-A questions is accounted for on the basis of the conflict in emphasis domain, which arises when two emphatic variables have the same domain.