| Chinese Abstract | 第1-5页 |
| English Abstract | 第5-6页 |
| Acknowledgement | 第6-7页 |
| Table of Contents | 第7-8页 |
| 1． An Overall Review of the Studies on ETS | 第8-26页 |
| 1．1． The Three Obligatory Constituents | 第8-13页 |
| 1．2． ETS as a Message | 第13-19页 |
| 1．3． Pragmatic Studies on ETS | 第19-26页 |
| 2． A Structural Account of ETS | 第26-55页 |
| 2．1． The Definition of ETS | 第26-29页 |
| 2．2． Existential-there | 第29-37页 |
| 2．3． The Main Verbs in ETS | 第37-42页 |
| 2．4． The So-called ”Definite Restriction” | 第42-55页 |
| 3． A Systemic-functional Account of ETS: its Thematic Structure | 第55-75页 |
| 3．1． An Overview of the Thematic Analysis | 第55-59页 |
| 3．2． Different Analyses of the Thematic Structure of ETS | 第59-66页 |
| 3．3． Shortcomings of Alternative Analyses and Possible Remedies | 第66-72页 |
| 3．4． Defending Halliday's Proposition | 第72-75页 |
| 4． A Pragmatic Aeeount of ETS | 第75-93页 |
| 4．1． Relationship between ETS and Basic Clause Patterns | 第75-79页 |
| 4．2． ETS and the Maxim of End-weight | 第79-82页 |
| 4．3． Uses of Existential-there Sentences | 第82-87页 |
| 4．4． A Division of Labor between ETS and There-less Sentences | 第87-93页 |
| 5． Conclusion | 第93-95页 |
| Bibliography | 第95-96页 |
