ABSTRACT
We apply the tripartite structural framework to the analysis of dou in Mandarin. After introducing the asymmetry and the conservativity of a tripartite structure, we prove that the quantificational tripartite analyzing tool can be applied to if-clauses and wulun … dou … The different types of dou sentences can apply different mapping mechanism of tripartite structure. Dou is analyzed as a universal quantificational and its quantificational domain could be provided by its left NP itself or the alternative set of its Left NP. The domain could also be provided by the background which is the sentence minus the focus.
