A Cognitive Construal Perspective on the Concessive Construction “Just Because X Doesn't Mean Y”

The research of English concessive construction "Just Because X Doesn't Mean Y" (JBX-DMY in short) didn't solve the problem of cognitive construal. On one side, based on COCA observation, the article treats construal operation as cognitive basis and summarizes construal means, viewing point and viewing arrangement, and proposes the "metaphor-metonymy" mechanism during the process. The conclusion is that (1) the main construal means of the construction are sequential and simultaneous; (2) the construction allows various viewing points, but imposes restrictions on arrangements, showing the feature of partial productivity; (3) "metaphor-metonymy" mechanism is involved in the construal. On the other side, the study compares JBX-DMY with the Chinese concessive construction "jishi X, ye Y" and finds that two constructions share similar construal means but differ in construal characteristics.