| Acknowledgements | 第4-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-13页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第13-19页 |
| 1.1 Research Background of the Study | 第13-14页 |
| 1.2 Research Object of the Study | 第14-15页 |
| 1.3 Significance of the Study | 第15-16页 |
| 1.4 Research Questions of the Study | 第16页 |
| 1.5 Methodology and Data Collection | 第16-17页 |
| 1.6 Organization of the Thesis | 第17-19页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第19-31页 |
| 2.1 The Argument about the Word Class of Adjectives in Adjective+object Construction | 第19-26页 |
| 2.1.1 Temporary and Flexible Use of the Adjective | 第20-21页 |
| 2.1.2 Multiple Classes of the Adjective | 第21-23页 |
| 2.1.3 Stable Class of the Adjective | 第23-25页 |
| 2.1.4 Different Treatments to Subclasses of Adjectives | 第25-26页 |
| 2.2 Different Explanations of Adjective+object Construction | 第26-28页 |
| 2.3 Achievements and Limitations of the Previous Studies | 第28-31页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Framework | 第31-39页 |
| 3.1 Conceptualization | 第31-36页 |
| 3.1.1 Profiling | 第31-34页 |
| 3.1.2 Mental Scanning | 第34-36页 |
| 3.2 Metonymy | 第36-38页 |
| 3.3 Summary | 第38-39页 |
| Chapter Four Observation of Adjective+object Construction | 第39-59页 |
| 4.1 Syntactic Features of Adjective+object Construction | 第39-46页 |
| 4.1.1 From the Syllable of Adjectives | 第39-44页 |
| 4.1.2 From the Form of the Object | 第44-46页 |
| 4.2 Semantic Features of Adjective+object Construction | 第46-51页 |
| 4.2.1 Attribute Changes of the Object | 第47-49页 |
| 4.2.2 Psychological Changes of the Subject toward the Object | 第49-51页 |
| 4.3 The Distinctive Features of the Adjective in Adjective+object Construction | 第51-57页 |
| 4.3.1 Dynamicity | 第51-53页 |
| 4.3.2 Gradability | 第53-55页 |
| 4.3.3 Duality | 第55-57页 |
| 4.4 Summary | 第57-59页 |
| Chapter Five The Cognitive Motivations of the Emergence of the Meaning of Adjective+object Construction | 第59-77页 |
| 5.1 The Semantic Interconnectedness of the Adjective and the Verb | 第59-61页 |
| 5.2 The Cognitive Motivations of Adjective+object Construction | 第61-71页 |
| 5.3 The Reasons for the Employment of Adjective+object Construction | 第71-76页 |
| 5.3.1 The Subjective Expression of Human Beings | 第72-74页 |
| 5.3.2 The Principle of Economy | 第74-76页 |
| 5.4 Summary | 第76-77页 |
| Chapter Six Conclusion | 第77-81页 |
| 6.1 Major Findings | 第77-79页 |
| 6.2 Limitations and Further Expectations | 第79-81页 |
| Bibliography | 第81-85页 |
| Appendix | 第85-96页 |
