| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 第1-5页 |
| 英文摘要 | 第5-9页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第9-15页 |
| 1．1 Definition of Gratitude Expression | 第11-12页 |
| 1．2 Scope of This Study | 第12页 |
| 1．3 Limitation of the Research | 第12-13页 |
| 1．4 Organization of this thesis | 第13-15页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review of Studies on Gratitude expression | 第15-20页 |
| 2．1 Studies in English Speech community | 第15-17页 |
| 2．2 Studies in Chinese Speech Community | 第17-20页 |
| Chapter Three An overview of Gratitude Expression | 第20-56页 |
| 3．1 Structure of Gratitude Expressing Event | 第20-24页 |
| 3．2 Functions of Gratitude Expression | 第24-36页 |
| 3．2．1 Thanking and Ritualization | 第25-27页 |
| 3．2．2 Gratitude Expression as a discourse Marker | 第27-28页 |
| 3．2．3 Gratitude Expression as a Closing Signal | 第28-30页 |
| 3．2．4 Gratitude Expression in Proposal-Acceptance Sequence | 第30-33页 |
| 3．2．5 Gratitude Expression in Telephone Closing | 第33-36页 |
| 3．3 Classification of Gratitude Expression | 第36-45页 |
| 3．3．1 Strategies of Gratitude Expressing | 第37-43页 |
| 3．3．1．1 Strategies in English | 第37-40页 |
| 3．3．1．2 Strategies in Chinese | 第40-43页 |
| 3．3．2 Continuation Patterns | 第43-44页 |
| 3．3．3 Classification According to Strategies | 第44-45页 |
| 3．4 Object of Gratitude | 第45-56页 |
| 3．4．1 Material Things as Object of Gratitude | 第47-49页 |
| 3．4．2 Immaterial Things as Object of Gratitude | 第49-52页 |
| 3．4．3 Frames for Gratitude Expression | 第52-56页 |
| 3．4．3．1 Frames for Simple Gratitude Expression | 第53-55页 |
| 3．4．3．2 Frames for Intensified Gratitude Expression | 第55-56页 |
| Chapter Four Methodology | 第56-62页 |
| 4．1 Data Collection | 第56-58页 |
| 4．1．1 Daily English Readings,Films and TV Programs | 第56-57页 |
| 4．1．2 Participant and Non-participant Observation | 第57-58页 |
| 4．1．3 Questionnaire | 第58页 |
| 4．2 Categorization of Social Factors | 第58-62页 |
| 4．2．1 Relationship According to Intimacy | 第59-60页 |
| 4．2．2 Nature of Object of Gratitude | 第60页 |
| 4．2．3 Age of Informants | 第60页 |
| 4．2．4 Gender and Education of the Informants | 第60-62页 |
| Chapter Five Contrastive Study of Gratitude Expression in English and Chinese | 第62-73页 |
| 5．1 Semantic Content | 第62-66页 |
| 5．1．1 More Direct Gratitude Expression in English | 第63-65页 |
| 5．1．2 More Negative Gratitude Expression in Chinese | 第65页 |
| 5．1．3 Non-verbal Expressions of Gratitude | 第65-66页 |
| 5．2 Illocutionary Potential | 第66-69页 |
| 5．3 Social Factors that Affect the Use of Gratitude Expressing | 第69-73页 |
| Chapter Six Pragmatic Problems in Cross-cultural Communication and Conclusion | 第73-78页 |
| 6．1 Problems in Cross-cultural Communication | 第73-76页 |
| 6．2 Suggestions for Further Study | 第76-77页 |
| 6．3 Conclusion | 第77-78页 |
| REFERENCES | 第78-82页 |
| APPENDIXA | 第82-85页 |
| APPENDIXB | 第85-86页 |
