| Acknowledgements | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-8页 |
| 摘要 | 第9-16页 |
| List of Abbreviations | 第16-17页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第17-21页 |
| 1.1 Research Background | 第17-19页 |
| 1.2 Research Purposes | 第19页 |
| 1.3 Significance of the Research | 第19-20页 |
| 1.4 Structure of the Thesis | 第20-21页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第21-39页 |
| 2.1 Metaphoric Competence | 第21-26页 |
| 2.1.1 Definitions of Metaphoric Competence | 第21-24页 |
| 2.1.2 Interaction among Metaphoric Competence, Linguistic Competence and Communicative Competence | 第24页 |
| 2.1.3 Controversies over MC Theory and Research | 第24-26页 |
| 2.2 Empirical Studies on Metaphoric Competence | 第26-35页 |
| 2.2.1 Correlation between MC and Related Factors | 第26-30页 |
| 2.2.1.1 Correlation between MC and Cognitive Style & Language Proficiency | 第26-29页 |
| 2.2.1.2 Correlation between MC and Other Factors (Gender, Discourse Context, Creativity and LI Transfer) | 第29-30页 |
| 2.2.2 Effect of Metaphor Instruction on the Acquisition of English Vocabulary | 第30-34页 |
| 2.2.3 Correlation between MC and Reading, Writing & Speaking Abilities | 第34-35页 |
| 2.3 Empirical Studies on Metaphor Use in English Writing | 第35-37页 |
| 2.4 Comments on the Previous Research | 第37-39页 |
| Chapter Three Methodology | 第39-53页 |
| 3.1 Research Questions | 第39-40页 |
| 3.2 Data Collection | 第40-51页 |
| 3.2.1 Corpus----SWECCL | 第40-41页 |
| 3.2.2 Operational Definition of MC | 第41页 |
| 3.2.3 Identification of Metaphors | 第41-48页 |
| 3.2.3.1 Operational Definition of Metaphor | 第41-42页 |
| 3.2.3.2 Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) | 第42-43页 |
| 3.2.3.3 Adaptations of MIP for the Present Study | 第43-45页 |
| 3.2.3.4 Procedures of Identifying Metaphor in This Study | 第45-48页 |
| 3.2.4 Annotation of Metaphors | 第48-49页 |
| 3.2.5 Identification of Metaphor Errors | 第49-50页 |
| 3.2.5.1 Operational Definition of Metaphor Error | 第49页 |
| 3.2.5.2 Procedures of Identifying Metaphor Errors | 第49-50页 |
| 3.2.6 Annotation of Metaphor Errors | 第50-51页 |
| 3.3 Data Analysis | 第51-53页 |
| Chapter Four Results and Discussion | 第53-73页 |
| 4.1 Research Results | 第53-69页 |
| 4.1.1 Rate of Metaphor Use in the Writing by Chinese English Majors | 第53页 |
| 4.1.2 Metaphors Used across Four Grades | 第53-61页 |
| 4.1.2.1 Average Rate of Metaphor Use | 第53-54页 |
| 4.1.2.2 Open-class Metaphors and Closed-class Metaphors | 第54-57页 |
| 4.1.2.3 Five Most Frequently Used Metaphors | 第57-61页 |
| 4.1.2.3.1 Five Most Frequently Used Open-class Metaphors in Each Grade | 第57-59页 |
| 4.1.2.3.2 Five Most Frequently Used Closed-class Metaphors in Each Grade | 第59-61页 |
| 4.1.3 Metaphors Used across Three Genres | 第61-67页 |
| 4.1.3.1 Average Rate of Metaphor Use | 第61-62页 |
| 4.1.3.2 Open-class Metaphors and Closed-class Metaphors | 第62-64页 |
| 4.1.3.3 Five Most Frequently Used Metaphors | 第64-67页 |
| 4.1.3.3.1 Five Most Frequently Used Open-class Metaphors in Each Genre | 第65-66页 |
| 4.1.3.3.2 Five Most Frequently Used Closed-class Metaphors in Each Genre | 第66-67页 |
| 4.1.4 Metaphor Errors | 第67-69页 |
| 4.1.4.1 Rate of Metaphor Errors in the Writing by Chinese English Majors | 第67-69页 |
| 4.1.4.2 Rate of Metaphor Errors across Four Grades | 第69页 |
| 4.1.4.3 Rate of Metaphor Errors across Three Genres | 第69页 |
| 4.2 Discussions | 第69-73页 |
| 4.2.1 Low Rate of Metaphor Use in the Writing by Chinese English Majors | 第70页 |
| 4.2.2 The Trend of Metaphor Use across Four Grades | 第70-71页 |
| 4.2.3 The Trend of Metaphor Use across Three Genres | 第71页 |
| 4.2.4 Five Most Frequently Used Open-class Metaphors and Closed-class Metaphors | 第71-73页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第73-76页 |
| 5.1 Major Findings | 第73-74页 |
| 5.2 Implications | 第74-75页 |
| 5.2.1 Theoretical Implications | 第74页 |
| 5.2.2 Pedagogical Implications | 第74-75页 |
| 5.3 Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research | 第75-76页 |
| References | 第76-81页 |
| Appendix Ⅰ | 第81-82页 |
| Appendix Ⅱ | 第82-91页 |
| Appendix Ⅲ | 第91-99页 |
