| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-9页 |
| 摘要 | 第9-13页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第13-19页 |
| ·Research background | 第13-16页 |
| ·Research objective | 第16-17页 |
| ·Research methodology | 第17-18页 |
| ·Structure of the thesis | 第18-19页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第19-32页 |
| ·Traditional researches on the semantics of English temporal prepositions | 第19-22页 |
| ·Researches on the semantics of English temporal prepositions from the perspective of cognitive linguistics | 第22-25页 |
| ·Previous researches on acquisition and teaching of English temporal prepositions | 第25-29页 |
| ·Summary | 第29-32页 |
| Chapter Three A Cognitive Linguistics Approach to the Semantic Structuring of English Temporal Prepositions | 第32-79页 |
| ·An overview of cognitive linguistics | 第32-36页 |
| ·Theoretical framework | 第36-52页 |
| ·The prototype theory | 第36-37页 |
| ·Polysemy | 第37-40页 |
| ·Image schema | 第40-43页 |
| ·Conceptual metaphor | 第43-48页 |
| ·Metonymy | 第48-49页 |
| ·Construal | 第49-52页 |
| ·Relation between space and time | 第52-57页 |
| ·Case studies of the semantic structuring of English temporal prepositions | 第57-77页 |
| ·Criteria for determining the primary sense | 第58-60页 |
| ·Analysis of the semantic structuring of English temporal prepositions | 第60-76页 |
| ·IN | 第61-67页 |
| ·OVER | 第67-71页 |
| ·BEFORE | 第71-76页 |
| ·The semantic characteristics of English temporal prepositions | 第76-77页 |
| ·Summary | 第77-79页 |
| Chapter Four Pedagogical Implications of the Cognitive Linguistics Approach to the Semantic Structuring of English Temporal Prepositions | 第79-90页 |
| ·Teaching theories in relation to English temporal prepositions | 第80-82页 |
| ·Relationship between the cognitive linguistics approach to the semantic structuring of English temporal prepositions and EFL teaching of English temporal prepositions | 第82-84页 |
| ·Implications and Methodological suggestions for the teaching of English temporal prepositions | 第84-87页 |
| ·Summary | 第87-90页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusions | 第90-94页 |
| ·Major findings | 第90-92页 |
| ·Limitations and suggestions for further research | 第92-94页 |
| Appendix | 第94-95页 |
| Bibliography | 第95-105页 |
| Academic papers published during postgraduate study | 第105页 |
