語法從來不是一門容易的學問。西方的語言學教材這麼說:”Grammar is actually a much more complex phenomenon than anything that could ever be taught in school.”(Language Files,11th edition,p.3,Ohio State University Press)討論漢語語法的學問從晚清纔開始,說漢語的人認識瞭西方的語法學理論,纔轉而把目光投嚮自身母語的語法結構分析,試圖用西方人描述印歐語言語法的框架描繪漢語內部的語法。