| Abstract | 第3-4页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-10页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第10-14页 |
| 1.1 Research Background | 第10-11页 |
| 1.2 Research Significance | 第11页 |
| 1.3 Research Questions | 第11-12页 |
| 1.4 Data Collection and Methodology | 第12-13页 |
| 1.5 Organization of the Thesis | 第13-14页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第14-24页 |
| 2.1 Studies on Doctor-Patient Communication Abroad and at Home | 第14-19页 |
| 2.1.1 Studies on Doctor-Patient Communication Abroad | 第14-16页 |
| 2.1.2 Studies on Doctor-Patient Communication at Home | 第16-19页 |
| 2.2 Studies on Hedges Abroad and at Home | 第19-21页 |
| 2.2.1 Studies on Hedges Abroad | 第19-20页 |
| 2.2.2 Studies on Hedges at Home | 第20-21页 |
| 2.3 Studies on Hedges in Doctor-Patient Communication | 第21-22页 |
| 2.4 Limitations and Gaps of Previous Studies | 第22-24页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Framework | 第24-34页 |
| 3.1 Definition and Classification of Hedges in the Study | 第24-29页 |
| 3.1.1 Definitions of Hedges | 第24-25页 |
| 3.1.2 Classifications of Hedges | 第25-29页 |
| 3.2 Brown and Levinson’s Theory of Politeness | 第29-30页 |
| 3.2.1 The Notion of“Face” | 第29页 |
| 3.2.2 Brown and Levinson’s Face Theory | 第29-30页 |
| 3.3 Culpeper’s Theory of Impoliteness | 第30-32页 |
| 3.4 Theoretical Framework in the Study | 第32-33页 |
| 3.5 Summary | 第33-34页 |
| Chapter Four Frequency and Features of Hedges in Doctor-PatientComuniction | 第34-42页 |
| 4.1 Distributional Pattern of Hedges by Doctors and Patients | 第34-35页 |
| 4.2 Differences of Hedges by Doctors and Patients | 第35-37页 |
| 4.3 Occurrences of Some Hedges in Doctor-Patient Communication | 第37-40页 |
| 4.3.1 Occurrences of Hedges in Doctor-Patient Communication | 第37-39页 |
| 4.3.2 Hedges Analysis | 第39-40页 |
| 4.4 Summary | 第40-42页 |
| Chapter Five Pragmatic Functions of Hedges in Doctor-PatientCommunication | 第42-76页 |
| 5.1 Hedges as (Im)Politeness Strategies in Doctor-Patient Communication | 第42-70页 |
| 5.1.1 Hedges as (Im)Politeness Strategies in Doctors’ Discourse | 第42-56页 |
| 5.1.2 Hedges as (Im) Politeness Strategies in Patients’ Discourse | 第56-70页 |
| 5.2 Other Pragmatic Effects of Hedges in Doctor-Patient Communication | 第70-74页 |
| 5.2.1 Self-Protection | 第70-72页 |
| 5.2.2 Pragmatic Failure | 第72-74页 |
| 5.3 Summary | 第74-76页 |
| Chapter Six Conclusion | 第76-78页 |
| 6.1 Major Findings of the Research | 第76-77页 |
| 6.2 Limitations of the Research | 第77页 |
| 6.3 Suggestions for Further Studies | 第77-78页 |
| References | 第78-84页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第84-86页 |
| Appendix A | 第86-88页 |
| Appendix B | 第88-90页 |
| Curriculum Vitae | 第90页 |
