長久以來，中文是否有空缺結構是一個未獲結論的議題。本文利用中文空缺結構和英語空缺結構的文法判斷測驗，以實證研究（一）對一群台灣大學生來說，中文空缺結構是否存在，和（二）中文空缺結構存在與否是否影響他們對英文空缺結構的判斷。結果顯示，對這一群學生而言，中文空缺結構不是絕對「有或沒有」的語言現象，並且中文空缺結構存在與否顯著地影響他們對英文空缺結構的判斷。這些發現挑戰了Tang（2001）的設論，亦即中文裡沒有標準空缺結構但有左刪除空缺結構。此外，這些發現也質疑Zobl（1984）的論爭，那就是母語裡與眾不同的特點不會轉移到第二語言的理解。

It has been a controversy whether Mandarin Chinese (MC) has gapping structure. Using grammaticality judgment tests of MC gapping and English gapping, this study empirically investigated (a) whether or not gapping structures exist in MC for a group of Taiwanese college students, and (b) whether (non-) existence of MC gapping influences their grammaticality judgment of English gapping. Results showed that, for the students, MC gapping was not an “all or nothing” phenomenon, and that (non)-existence of MC gapping significantly influenced them to judge English gapping through the grammaticality judgment tests. The findings challenge Tang’s (2001) hypothesis that canonical gapping does not exist in MC, but Left Peripheral Deletion (LPD) gapping does. Also, these findings question Zobl’s (1984) argument that a marked feature of an L1 will not transfer to L2.