Chinese coverbal phrases and coverbs: a systemic functional account

• Presents a comprehensive SFL description of Chinese coverbal phrases and coverbs. • Compares systems and structures of Chinese coverbal phrases and verbal groups. • Explores the functions of coverbal phrases at both clause and group ranks. • Proposes a classification of Modern Chinese coverbs. For the most part Modern Chinese grammars treat coverbs as prepositions but acknowledge their grammaticalisation from verbs. This paper firstly provides a description of Chinese coverbal phrases and coverbs from a systemic functional perspective, taking as point of departure the system and structure of Chinese verbal groups. Secondly, it explores the functions that coverbal phrases realise at both clause and group ranks, and the conjunctive usage of coverbs in marking hypotactic clauses. Thirdly, this paper provides a classification of coverbs in Modern Chinese based on their relationship with the corresponding verbs. This systemic functional description supplements and complements existing Chinese grammars in multiple ways.