Dependent mechanism of Chinese prepositions processing in the brain: evidence from event-related potentials

Objective To compare the event-related potentials (ERPs) waves of verbs and prepositions in the brain.Methods We recorded ERPs in the brain while participants judged the legality of the collocation for verbs and prepositions.Results Both verbs and prepositions elicited a negativity at the frontal site in 230-330 ms and 350-500 ms window. No difference was seen in 230-330 ms and 350-500 ms window; In difference waves, a negativity was elicited in the left and right hemisphere at about 270-400 ms and 470-600 ms window for both open and closed-class words.Conclusion These may demonstrate that prepositions in modern Chinese are probably not a separate class from verbs and that N280 may be not a specific component for only prepositions (or closed-class words).