本书是作者博士论文修改而成，并增补了三年来与本课题相关的最新研究成果。全书主要内容包括：第二语言中屈折词辍的变异是否会损伤中介语句法系统；第二语言形态发展和句法发展之间的关系；导致第二语言屈折词辍缺失的因素。本研究对语言教学、教材编写和测试学均具有一定的指导意义。

本书在最简方案框内探讨第二语言中屈折词缀的变异是否意味着中介语句法系统的损伤，第二语言形态发展和句法发展之间的关系，以及导致第二语言屈折词缀缺失的因素。对中国英语学习者的实验表明，二语中屈折词缀的变异只能说明中介语形态系统的损伤，并不意味着中介语句法系统的损伤，二语习得者对异干互补屈折词缀形态的习得远好于词缀性质屈折形态，二语中形态系统的发展往往滞后于句法系统的发展，二语习得者对屈折词缀的使用受到多种因素的影响。

本书适用于语言学专业研究生，尤其是从事二语习得的研究者，参考阅读。

Chapter 1 The Impairment of Interlanguage Syntax

 1.1 Debate on the Impairment of Interlanguage Syntax

 1.2 Research Questions and Singnificance

Chapter 2 Previous Studies and Theories of Inflectional Optionality

 2.1 Inflectional Optionality

 2.2 Root Infinitives in L1 Grammars

 2.3 Inflectional Optionality in L2 Grammars

 2.4 Problems with the Previous Studies

 2.5 Improvements in the Present Study

Chapter 3 The Theoretical Framework

 3.1 The Grammar Model of the Minimalist Program

 3.2 Cross-Linguistic Variation

 3.3 Functional Categories

 3.4 Features and Feature Checking Theory

 3.5 Finiteness in English and Chinese

Chapter 4 The Empirical Study

 4.1 Hypotheses

 4.2 The Case Study

 4.3 The Cross-Sectional Study

 4.4 Acquisition of the Suppletive Be

 4.5 Theoretical Accounts

Chapter 5 Causes of Missing Inflections in L2

 5.1 Testing of the Previous Accounts

 5.2 Other Factors Affecting Inflection Suppliance in L2

 5.3 Morphological Competence

Chapter 6 Concluding Remarks

Appendix Ⅰ Test Used in the Cross-Sectional Study

Appendix Ⅱ Examples of the Overuse of the Suppletive Be The case study

Appendix Ⅲ Verbs with Regular Inflection in the Case Study

Appendix Ⅳ Agreement Errors in the Cross-Sectional Study

References