| Acknowledgements | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-15页 |
| Abbreviations | 第15-16页 |
| Notational Conventions | 第16-17页 |
| Chapter One PRELIMINARIES | 第17-24页 |
| 1.1 Background of the Study | 第17-18页 |
| 1.2 A note on Terminology | 第18-20页 |
| 1.3 Objectives of the Study | 第20页 |
| 1.4 Data and Methodology | 第20-22页 |
| 1.5 Thesis Layout | 第22-24页 |
| Chapter Two REVIEW OF LITERATURE | 第24-39页 |
| 2.1 Study of Absolute Constructions in Traditional and Corpus-based English Grammar | 第24-28页 |
| 2.2 Study of Absolute Constructions in Traditional German Grammar | 第28-30页 |
| 2.3 Transformational Generative Approach to Absolute Constructions in English | 第30页 |
| 2.4 Cognitive Approach to Absolute Constructions in English | 第30页 |
| 2.5 Systemic Functional Approach to Absolute Constructions | 第30-31页 |
| 2.6 Summary of the Categories of Absolute Constructions in Previous Studies | 第31-38页 |
| 2.6.1 Comments on the Different Schools of Study | 第31-32页 |
| 2.6.2 Categories of Absolute Constructions in English | 第32-35页 |
| 2.6.3 Categories of Absolute Constructions in German | 第35-38页 |
| 2.7 The Gap Identified in Existing Studies | 第38-39页 |
| Chapter Three THEORETICAL FOUNDATION | 第39-48页 |
| 3.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics | 第39-44页 |
| 3.1.1 Features of systemic functional linguistics | 第39-41页 |
| 3.1.2 Meta-functional systems in systemic functional linguistics | 第41-42页 |
| 3.1.3 The clause complex in systemic functional linguistics | 第42-43页 |
| 3.1.4 Rank in systemic functional linguistics | 第43-44页 |
| 3.1.5 Cline in systemic functional linguistics | 第44页 |
| 3.1.6 Grammaticalization in systemic functional linguistics | 第44页 |
| 3.2 Systemic Functional Typology | 第44-47页 |
| 3.2.1 Features of systemic functional typology | 第45-46页 |
| 3.2.2 Objectives of study in systemic functional typology | 第46页 |
| 3.2.3 Methods of study in systemic functional typology | 第46-47页 |
| 3.3 Summary | 第47-48页 |
| Chapter Four EXPLORING ABSOLUTE CONSTRUCTIONS IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL TYPOLOGY | 第48-98页 |
| 4.1 Systemic Functional Description of Absolute Constructions in English | 第48-69页 |
| 4.1.1 Taxonomy | 第48-49页 |
| 4.1.2 Rank status and “absoluteness” | 第49-52页 |
| 4.1.3 Internal functional structure | 第52-61页 |
| 4.1.4 Relations realized | 第61-62页 |
| 4.1.5 Grammatical metaphor | 第62页 |
| 4.1.6 Case marking | 第62-65页 |
| 4.1.7 Grammaticalization | 第65页 |
| 4.1.8 Word order | 第65-69页 |
| 4.2 Systemic Functional Description of Absolute Constructions in German | 第69-87页 |
| 4.2.1 Taxonomy | 第69-78页 |
| 4.2.2 Rank status and “absoluteness” | 第78-79页 |
| 4.2.3 Internal functional structure | 第79-83页 |
| 4.2.4 Relations realized | 第83-84页 |
| 4.2.5 Grammatical metaphor | 第84页 |
| 4.2.6 Case marking | 第84-86页 |
| 4.2.7 Grammaticalization | 第86页 |
| 4.2.8 Word order | 第86-87页 |
| 4.3 Comparisons and Descriptive Generalizations | 第87-98页 |
| 4.3.1 Comparison of case between English and German AC’s | 第87-88页 |
| 4.3.2 Comparison of word order between English and German AC’s | 第88-89页 |
| 4.3.3 Implications of case and word order in English and German AC’s | 第89-97页 |
| 4.3.4 Typological generalizations | 第97-98页 |
| Chapter Five CONCLUSION | 第98-101页 |
| 5.1 Findings and Implications | 第98-100页 |
| 5.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Studies | 第100-101页 |
| REFERENCES | 第101-104页 |
