| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第6-7页 |
| Abstract | 第7-11页 |
| 1. Introduction | 第11-15页 |
| ·Research background | 第11-12页 |
| ·Research objectives | 第12-13页 |
| ·Research significance | 第13页 |
| ·Thesis layout | 第13-15页 |
| ·Literature Review | 第15-26页 |
| ·Review of theoretical studies | 第15-20页 |
| ·Speech act theory | 第15-17页 |
| ·Politeness principle | 第17-18页 |
| ·Cross-cultural pragmatics | 第18-19页 |
| ·Cognitive linguistics | 第19-20页 |
| ·Review of empirical studies | 第20-26页 |
| ·Studies of compliments and responses | 第20-22页 |
| ·Studies of comparison and contrast of Compliments and Responses | 第22-26页 |
| 3. Research Design | 第26-33页 |
| ·Research questions | 第26页 |
| ·Subjects | 第26-27页 |
| ·Instruments | 第27-31页 |
| ·Data collection procedures | 第31-33页 |
| 4. Results and Discussion | 第33-58页 |
| ·Compliments between Mandarin Chinese and American English | 第33-43页 |
| ·Common features between Chinese compliments and American compliments | 第33-39页 |
| ·Different features between Chinese compliments and American compliments | 第39-43页 |
| ·Compliment responses between Mandarin Chinese and American English | 第43-54页 |
| ·Common features between Chinese compliment responses and American compliment responses | 第43-46页 |
| ·Different features between Chinese compliment responses and American compliment responses | 第46-54页 |
| ·Factors affecting Chinese and American compliments and responses | 第54-57页 |
| ·Individual cognition | 第54-56页 |
| ·Cultural backgrounds | 第56-57页 |
| ·Implications | 第57-58页 |
| 5. Conclusion | 第58-60页 |
| Bibliography | 第60-65页 |
| Appendix A | 第65-66页 |
| Appendix B | 第66-69页 |
| Appendix C | 第69-72页 |
