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Article published In: International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
Vol. 13:1 (2026) ► pp.100–126

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Exceptive construction

Pragma-rhetorical effectiveness in semantic illogicality

ORCiD logo with link | Yunnan Normal University
ORCiD logo with link | Putian University
Published online: 21 May 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.00046.liu
Abstract
Exceptive construction (EC), an interesting pragma-rhetorical phenomenon, frequently occurs in Chinese interpersonal encounters. It refers to an utterance that achieves pragma-rhetorical effectiveness through superficial semantic incongruity. This is realized by a combination of affirmative and negative components and by the exclusion of one thing alongside the inclusion of another, establishing a meronymic or partitive relationship between the two parts. Few studies considered various contextual factors in actual use of EC or explained from a pragma-rhetorical perspective the reason why Chinese speakers often choose EC in interpersonal encounters, hence descriptive inadequacy and explanatory inadequacy. Drawing on the Pragma-rhetorical Principle and data from the classical Chinese novel A Dream of Red Mansions, this paper conducts a qualitative plus quantitative corpus-based analysis of EC’s syntactic, semantic properties and pragma-rhetorical function and effect in Chinese contexts. It is hoped that this study will offer insights for understanding traditional rhetorical devices from a pragma-rhetorical perspective, as well as contrastive studies of Chinese and English.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Research background
    • 2.1Pragma-rhetorical principle
    • 2.2Exceptive construction
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Research questions
    • 3.2Data collection
  • 4.Findings
    • 4.1Exceptive construction contextualized
    • 4.2Markedness of exceptive construction
    • 4.3Gender and social ranking in uses of exceptive construction
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Function and effect of exceptive construction
    • 5.2Contextual factors giving rise to exceptive construction
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Glossing abbreviations
  • Note
  • References
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