| 摘要 | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-8页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第8-11页 |
| ·Background and Aims of the Thesis | 第8-9页 |
| ·Organization of the Thesis | 第9-11页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review of Tense | 第11-19页 |
| ·Definitions of Tense | 第11-12页 |
| ·Definitions by Scholars Abroad | 第11页 |
| ·Definitions by Scholars at Home | 第11页 |
| ·Comments on Definitions of Tense | 第11-12页 |
| ·Different Approaches to Tense | 第12-16页 |
| ·Traditional Approach to Tense | 第12-15页 |
| ·Cognitive Approach to Tense | 第15-16页 |
| ·Use of Simple Past Tense | 第16-19页 |
| ·Event Past and State Past | 第17页 |
| ·Habitual Use | 第17页 |
| ·Use in Narrative | 第17页 |
| ·Simple Past Tense in Politeness and Counterfactual Form | 第17-19页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical Basis --- The Prototype Theory | 第19-31页 |
| ·A Brief Survey of the Prototype Theory | 第19-24页 |
| ·Development of the Prototype Theory | 第19-23页 |
| ·Main Ideas of the Prototype Theory | 第23-24页 |
| ·A Detailed Study of the Prototype Category | 第24-31页 |
| ·Definition of the Prototype | 第24-25页 |
| ·Characteristics of the Prototype Category | 第25-26页 |
| ·The Non-Prototypical Members of a Category | 第26页 |
| ·The Relationship between Prototypical and Non-Prototypical Members | 第26-27页 |
| ·The Extension of a Category | 第27-28页 |
| ·The Mechanisms of the Extension of a Category | 第28页 |
| ·Prototypical Effects on Language | 第28-31页 |
| Chapter 4 Analysis of Simple Past Tense from the Perspective of Prototype | 第31-42页 |
| ·Polysemy and Its Use in Non-Lexical Categories | 第31-32页 |
| ·The Prototypical Use of Simple Past Tense | 第32-34页 |
| ·State Use and Event Use | 第33页 |
| ·Habitual Use | 第33-34页 |
| ·The Non-Prototypical Use of Simple Past Tense | 第34-36页 |
| ·Simple Past Tense Expressing Counter-Factual Sense | 第34-35页 |
| ·Simple Past Tense Used as Pragmatic Softener | 第35-36页 |
| ·Extension of Simple Past Tense from Prototypical Use to Non-Prototypical | 第36-39页 |
| ·Implications for the Study | 第39-42页 |
| ·About Theory | 第39-40页 |
| ·About Practice | 第40-42页 |
| Chapter 5 Conclusion | 第42-45页 |
| References | 第45-48页 |
| 攻读硕士学位期间取得的学术成果 | 第48-49页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第49页 |
