| Declaration | 第1-5页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-10页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第10-17页 |
| ·The object of the study | 第10-11页 |
| ·The rationale of the study | 第11-12页 |
| ·Problems unsolved in the existing studies | 第12-13页 |
| ·The goal of the study | 第13-14页 |
| ·Notes on methodology, terminology and data collection | 第14-15页 |
| ·An overview of this study | 第15-17页 |
| Chapter Two A Review of Related Literature | 第17-23页 |
| ·An approach from the perspective of the initiator —Edmondson's supportive moves | 第17-18页 |
| ·Approaches from the perspective of the responder | 第18-20页 |
| ·Clark's added moves | 第18-19页 |
| ·Grice's violating the maxim of quantity | 第19-20页 |
| ·An approach from a comprehensive perspective —Chen's interactional overinformativeness | 第20-23页 |
| Chapter Three A Description of the Conceptual Framework | 第23-38页 |
| ·The delimitation of RO | 第23-24页 |
| ·RO versus information redundancy | 第24页 |
| ·A sketch of the theoretical background | 第24-31页 |
| ·Verschueren's linguistic adaptation theory | 第25-28页 |
| ·Brown & Levinson's face theory | 第28-30页 |
| ·Grice's theory of conversational implicature | 第30-31页 |
| ·The characterization of the conceptual framework | 第31-38页 |
| ·RO: a product of negotiation and adaptation | 第31-34页 |
| ·A negotiation to social communicative principle:politeness principle | 第31-32页 |
| ·An adaptation to contextual factors: power and identity | 第32-34页 |
| ·RO: linguistic choices of communicative strategy | 第34-35页 |
| ·RO: adaptation to communicative needs | 第35-36页 |
| ·Summary | 第36-38页 |
| Chapter Four Manipulation and Functionality of RO | 第38-57页 |
| ·The manipulations of RO | 第38-44页 |
| ·Defining the notion of linguistic manipulation | 第38页 |
| ·Major variable dimensions of manipulation of RO | 第38-44页 |
| ·Interactional manipulation | 第39-40页 |
| ·Contextual manipulation | 第40-42页 |
| ·Propositional manipulation | 第42-44页 |
| ·The functions of RO | 第44-56页 |
| ·Defining the notion of functionality | 第44-45页 |
| ·Micro-level functions | 第45-52页 |
| ·How RO helps construct a discursive identity | 第46-51页 |
| ·Enhancing the positive self-image | 第46-48页 |
| ·Enhancing the negative other-image | 第48-50页 |
| ·Strengthening the forcefulness of the talk | 第50-51页 |
| ·How RO helps construct an ideal identity and a retrospective identity | 第51-52页 |
| ·Macro-functions | 第52-56页 |
| ·Avoiding confrontation or conflict | 第52-53页 |
| ·Mitigating embarrassment and face threat | 第53-54页 |
| ·Conveying good self-image | 第54-55页 |
| ·Introducing a new topic—center shift | 第55-56页 |
| ·Summary | 第56-57页 |
| Chapter Five Adaptability of RO | 第57-74页 |
| ·Introduction | 第57页 |
| ·Adaptation realized through RO | 第57-72页 |
| ·Self-oriented adaptation | 第58-68页 |
| ·Adaptation to the responder's motivations | 第58-60页 |
| ·Adaptation to the responder's emotions | 第60-62页 |
| ·Adaptation to the social politeness principle | 第62-68页 |
| ·.1 Adaptation to the maxims of politeness principle | 第63-66页 |
| ·.2 Adaptation to solidarity politeness | 第66-67页 |
| ·.3 Adaptation to detachment politeness | 第67-68页 |
| ·Other-oriented adaptation | 第68-72页 |
| ·.1 Adaptation to the present situation of talk | 第68-69页 |
| ·.2 Adaptation to the questioner's expectation | 第69-72页 |
| ·Summary | 第72-74页 |
| Chapter Six Conclusion | 第74-81页 |
| ·Introduction | 第74页 |
| ·Major findings | 第74-77页 |
| ·The generative mechanism of RO | 第74-75页 |
| ·Adaptation in responder's overinformativeness | 第75-77页 |
| ·Variability of RO | 第75-76页 |
| ·Functionality of RO | 第76页 |
| ·Adaptability of RO | 第76-77页 |
| ·Implications | 第77-78页 |
| ·Limitations | 第78-79页 |
| ·Suggestions for further research | 第79-81页 |
| Bibliography | 第81-84页 |
