| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract (English) | 第6-8页 |
| Abstract (Chinese) | 第8-12页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第12-17页 |
| ·The Rationale of the Study | 第12-13页 |
| ·Research Methodology | 第13-15页 |
| ·Research Procedure | 第13页 |
| ·Data Description | 第13-15页 |
| ·Framework of the Thesis | 第15-17页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第17-43页 |
| ·Definition of Humor | 第17-22页 |
| ·Classification of Humor | 第22-25页 |
| ·Previous Studies on Humor | 第25-31页 |
| ·Traditional Theories on Humor | 第25-29页 |
| ·Superiority/Disparagement Theory | 第26页 |
| ·Release/Relief Theory | 第26-27页 |
| ·Incongruity Theory | 第27-29页 |
| ·Modern Linguistic Theories on Humor | 第29-31页 |
| ·The Semantic Script Theory of Humor (SSTH) | 第29-30页 |
| ·The General Theory of Verbal Humor (GTVH) | 第30-31页 |
| ·Audience-based Theory | 第31页 |
| ·Conversational Implicature Theory | 第31-39页 |
| ·Classic Gricean Conversational Implicature Theory | 第32-33页 |
| ·Neo-Gricean Conversational Implicature Theory | 第33-39页 |
| ·Politeness Principle | 第35-36页 |
| ·Relevance Theory | 第36-39页 |
| ·Pragmatic Studies on Humor | 第39-43页 |
| Chapter Three Pragmatic Exploration of Humor in How I Met Your Mother | 第43-85页 |
| ·Cooperative Principle and Humor Production | 第43-66页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Violating the Maxim of Quantity | 第44-51页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Inadequate Information | 第44-46页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Excessive Information | 第46-51页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Violating the Maxim of Quality | 第51-52页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Violating the Maxim of Relation | 第52-54页 |
| ·Unconscious Violation of the Maxim of Relation | 第52-53页 |
| ·Deliberate Violation of the Maxim of Relation | 第53-54页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Violating the Maxim of Manner | 第54-66页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flexible Use of Deixis | 第55-59页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Tactful Use of Presupposition | 第59-66页 |
| ·Politeness Principle and Humor Production | 第66-75页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Politeness Principle | 第66-72页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Tact Maxim | 第66-67页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Generosity Maxim | 第67-69页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Approbation Maxim | 第69-70页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Modesty Maxim | 第70页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Agreement Maxim | 第70-71页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Flouting the Sympathy Maxim | 第71-72页 |
| ·Humor Produced by Abiding the Politeness Principle | 第72-75页 |
| ·Relevance Theory and Humor Perception | 第75-85页 |
| ·Socio-cultural Knowledge and the Humor Perception | 第78-81页 |
| ·Cognitive Context and the Humor Perception | 第81-85页 |
| Chapter Four Conclusion | 第85-89页 |
| ·Summary of the Study | 第85-86页 |
| ·Limitations of the Study | 第86-87页 |
| ·Suggestions and Implications for Further Study | 第87-89页 |
| Bibliography | 第89-93页 |
