| Acknowledgement | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract in Chinese | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract in English | 第6-8页 |
| Table of Contents | 第8-12页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第12-19页 |
| ·Orientation of the present study | 第12页 |
| ·The Rationale of the present study | 第12-15页 |
| ·Research questions | 第15页 |
| ·Notes on methodology,terminology and data | 第15-17页 |
| ·Organization of the study | 第17-19页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第19-36页 |
| ·Three approaches to the study of questions | 第19-23页 |
| ·Syntactic approach | 第19-20页 |
| ·Semantic approach | 第20-21页 |
| ·Functional approach | 第21-23页 |
| ·Classification of questions and their functions | 第23-26页 |
| ·Grammarians' categories of questions | 第23-24页 |
| ·Q-type questions and N-type questions | 第24页 |
| ·Strong/weak interrogation and Non-interrogation | 第24-25页 |
| ·Answer-,information-,action,and mental response-elicitation questions | 第25-26页 |
| ·Mapping between functions and interrogative forms | 第26-32页 |
| ·Speech acts embodied in Yes/No questions | 第27-28页 |
| ·Assertion conveyed by negative interrogatives | 第28-29页 |
| ·Functions of tag questions | 第29-30页 |
| ·Functions of rhetorical questions | 第30-32页 |
| ·Other aspects of question study | 第32-34页 |
| ·Question study with power | 第32-33页 |
| ·Question study in institutional dialogues | 第33-34页 |
| ·Summary | 第34-36页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical framework | 第36-46页 |
| ·Introduction | 第36页 |
| ·A brief sketch of Verschueren's Linguistic adaptation theory | 第36-43页 |
| ·Making choices | 第37-39页 |
| ·Three properties of Language—variability,negotiability and adaptability | 第39-41页 |
| ·Four angles of investigation—context,structure,dynamics and salience | 第41-43页 |
| ·Adaptation theory applied in the present study | 第43-46页 |
| Chapter 4 Identification Markers of Question Functions | 第46-62页 |
| ·Phonological markers | 第46-49页 |
| ·Stress | 第47-48页 |
| ·Intonation | 第48-49页 |
| ·Lexical markers. | 第49-54页 |
| ·Modal verbs | 第49-51页 |
| ·Vocatives | 第51-52页 |
| ·Intensifiers | 第52-53页 |
| ·Interjections and others | 第53-54页 |
| ·Syntactical markers | 第54-56页 |
| ·The use of negative structure | 第54-55页 |
| ·The use of tag | 第55-56页 |
| ·The use of stabilized construction | 第56页 |
| ·Conversation-structural markers | 第56-59页 |
| ·Questions followed by the answer provided by speaker him/herself | 第57-58页 |
| ·Many questions raised by the speaker successively in one turn | 第58页 |
| ·Question as a response to the previous speaker's question or statement | 第58-59页 |
| ·Responsive markers | 第59-60页 |
| ·Summary | 第60-62页 |
| Chapter 5 Classification of Question Functions | 第62-74页 |
| ·Information-oriented functions | 第62-65页 |
| ·Informationelicitation | 第62-65页 |
| ·Eliciting the provision of Unknown Information | 第63页 |
| ·Eliciting the Confirmation of uncertain information | 第63-64页 |
| ·Eliciting the clarification of vague information | 第64-65页 |
| ·Information Provision | 第65页 |
| ·Expression-oriented functions | 第65-68页 |
| ·Expressing attitude and opinion | 第66-67页 |
| ·Expressing feelings and emotions | 第67-68页 |
| ·Action-oriented functions | 第68-73页 |
| ·Phatics | 第68-69页 |
| ·Requestives | 第69-73页 |
| ·Request | 第70-71页 |
| ·Advice | 第71-72页 |
| ·Order | 第72-73页 |
| ·Summary | 第73-74页 |
| Chapter 6 Adaptive Use of Questions in Casual Conversations | 第74-86页 |
| ·Contextual dependence of question | 第75-81页 |
| ·Relationship between language users | 第75-77页 |
| ·Power Distribution | 第77-79页 |
| ·Mentality of speakers | 第79-80页 |
| ·Physical setting | 第80-81页 |
| ·Strategic orientation of questions | 第81-85页 |
| ·Positive politeness strategies | 第82-83页 |
| ·Negative politeness strategies | 第83-85页 |
| ·Summary | 第85-86页 |
| Chapter 7 Conclusion | 第86-90页 |
| ·The research in retrospect | 第86页 |
| ·Summary of the major findings | 第86-87页 |
| ·Implications of the study | 第87-88页 |
| ·Some limitations | 第88-89页 |
| ·Directions for potential research | 第89-90页 |
| Bibliography | 第90-93页 |
