本书在生成语法的原则与参数理论框架内对汉语的控制进行研究，即对汉语空主语PRO的分布和释义进行探讨。
PRO的一般出现在非限定小句的主语位置。由于汉语缺乏显性的形态标记，很多学者认为汉语不存在限定与非限定的区分，因此汉语中不存在空语类PRO。
石毓智（1995a）提出时间一维性原则，这一规则在语言中投影为，如果在同一句子中有多个表示同一时间发生的动词，只有一个动词可以具有与表达时间信息有关的语法特征，其他的动词不能。邢欣（1990，1995）也认为虽然汉语缺乏形态特征，但汉语的动词仍然可以分为动态动词和静态动词两类，能带时间限制词“已经”（包括“已”），“正在”（包括“正”、“在”），“将要”（包括“将”、“要”、“就要”）的动词短语是动态短语，不能带这些限制词的动词短语是静态短语。前者可以带时态助词“着”、“了”、“过”，后者不可以。动态动词动词可以单独做谓语，而静态动词短语不可以。
本文认为虽然汉语在形态上不存在限定与非限定的区分，但它可通过词汇手段标记这一区分，并基于以上观点，尝试性地提出区分限定与非限定的标准：在小句中，能够被体副词（aspectual adverbial

序
Acknowledgements
Abstract
摘要
Abbreviations
Chapter I Introduction
1.1 Control Theory: An Overview
1.1.1 Definitions of Control
1.1.2 Chomsky's Typology of Empty Categories
1.1.3 Basic Questions Concerning Control
1.2 Typology of Control
1.2.1 Obligatory Control Versus Non-obligatory Control
1.2.2 Subject Control Versus Object Control
1.2.3 Split Control Versus Non-split Control
1.2.4 Implicit Control
1.2.5 Landau's （2000） Typology of Control
1.3 Two Generalizations Concerning Control
1.3.1 Bach's Generalization
1.3.2 Visser's Generalization
1.3.3 Intermediate Summary
1.4 The Goal of the Book
1.5 The Organization of the Book
Chapter 2 Major Approaches to the Study of Control: A Critical Review
2.1 The Study of Control Under the Syntactic Approach
2.1.1 The Syntactic Study of Control Under the GB Framework
2.1.1.1 Chomsky's Study of Control Under the GB Framework
2.1.1.2 Manzini's Study of Control Under the GB Framework
2.1.1.3 James Huang's Study of Control in Chinese Under the GB
Framework
2.1.1.4 Battistella's Study of Control in Chinese Under the GB Framework
2.1.2 The Syntactic Study of Control Under the MP Framework
2.1.2.1 Chomsky and Lasnik's Study of Control Under the MP Framework
2.1.2.2 Hornstein's Movement Analysis of Control Under the MP Framework
2.1.2.3 Manzini and Roussou's Study of Control Under the MP Framework
2.1.3 The Syntactic Study of Control Under the Framework of Lexical-Functional Grammar
2.2 The Study of Control Under the Semantic Approach
2.2.1 Thematic Identity Condition and Thematic Distinctness Condition
2.2.2 A Lexical-Thematic Theory of Control in Chinese
2.2.3 Culicover and Wilkins's Coindexing Rule
2.2.4 Sag and Pollard's Controller Assignment Principle
2.3 The Study of Control Under the Pragmatic Approach
2.4 Summary
Chapter 3 The Distinction Between Finiteness and Non-finiteness in Chinese
3.1 Overview
3.2 Proponents of the Finiteness Versus Non-finiteness Distinction in Chinese
3.2.1 James Huang's Arguments for the Finiteness Versus Non-finiteness Distinction in Chinese
3.2.2 Audrey Li's Arguments for the Finiteness Versus Non-finit-eness Distinction in Chinese
3.2.3 Shi Yuzhi's Arguments for the Finiteness Versus Non-finit-eness Distinction in Chinese
3.3 Opponents of the Finiteness Versus Non-finiteness Distinction in Chinese
3.3.1 Xu's Arguments Against the Finiteness Versus Non-finitenessDistinction in Chinese
3.3.2 Yan Huang's Arguments against the Finiteness Versus Non- finiteness Distinction in Chinese
3.3.3 Hu, Pan and Xu's Arguments against the Finiteness Versus Non-finiteness Distinction in Chinese
3.4 Our Arguments for the Distinction Between Finit- eness and Non-finiteness in Chinese
3.4.1 Definitions of Finiteness and Non-finiteness
3.4.1.1 The Definitions of Finiteness and Non-finiteness in a Narrow Sense
3.4.1.2 The Definitions of Finiteness and Non-finiteness in a Broad Sense
3.4.2 A New Criterion for the Distinction Between Finiteness and Non-finiteness in Chinese
3.4.3 The Constructions that Distinguish Finiteness from Non-finiteness in Chinese
3.4.3.1 The Pivotal Construction
3.4.3.2 The Serial Verb Construction
3.4.3.3 The Verbal Complement Construction
3.4.3.4 The Verbal Subject Construction
3.5 Summary
Chapter 4 The Distribution and Interpretation of PRO in Chinese: A Tentative Account
4.1 The Distribution of PRO in Chinese
4.1.1 The Distribution of PRO in the Pivotal Construction
4.1.2 The Distribution of PRO in the Serial Verb Construction
4.1.3 The Distribution of PRO in the Verbal Complement Construction
4.1.4 The Distribution of PRO in the Verbal Subject Construction
4.2 The Interpretation of PRO in Chinese
4.2.1 The Interpretation of PRO in the Pivotal Construction
4.2.2 The Interpretation of PRO in the Serial Verb Construction
4.2.3 The Interpretation of PRO in the Verbal Complement Construction
4.2.4 The Interpretation of PRO in the Verbal Subject Construction-.
4.3 An Integrated Theory for the Interpretation of PRO in Chinese
4.4 Summary
Chapter 5 Conclusions
5.1 Concluding Remarks
5.2 Suggestions for Further Study
Bibliography