| Contents | 第1-8页 |
| Abstract in English | 第8-12页 |
| Abstract in Chinese | 第12-14页 |
| List of Tables and Figures | 第14-15页 |
| Introduction | 第15-21页 |
| Chapter One Literature Review | 第21-29页 |
| ·Studies on English Letters | 第21-24页 |
| ·Studies on the English Modality | 第24-27页 |
| ·Difference Between the Present Study and Previous Studies and the Need for the Study | 第27-29页 |
| Chapter Two Theoretical Foundation | 第29-44页 |
| ·Functional Account of the English Modality | 第29-40页 |
| ·Functional Grammar: an Original Approach to Meaning | 第29-31页 |
| ·Definition of Modality | 第31-32页 |
| ·Types of Modality | 第32-33页 |
| ·Orientations of Modality | 第33-34页 |
| ·Values of Modality | 第34-35页 |
| ·Sources of Modality | 第35-36页 |
| ·Realizations of the English Modality | 第36-39页 |
| ·Modal Operators | 第36-37页 |
| ·Adjuncts of Modality | 第37页 |
| ·Expansions of the Predicator | 第37-38页 |
| ·Modal Nouns | 第38页 |
| ·Modal Clauses | 第38-39页 |
| ·Two Levels of Modality | 第39-40页 |
| ·Some Other Notions Needed in the Study | 第40-44页 |
| ·Genre | 第41-42页 |
| ·Linguistic Politeness | 第42页 |
| ·Linguistic Comparison and Interlanguage | 第42-44页 |
| Chapter Three Functional Analysis of Modality in the Learners' Letters | 第44-71页 |
| ·Preliminary Analysis | 第44-49页 |
| ·Genre Description of the Model Letter | 第45页 |
| ·Modal Expressions in the Model Letter | 第45-48页 |
| ·Semantic Interpretation of the Model Letter | 第48-49页 |
| ·Data Description | 第49-50页 |
| ·Data Collection | 第49-50页 |
| ·Methods of Data Analysis | 第50页 |
| ·Data Analysis | 第50-68页 |
| ·Genre Description of the 30 Asking-for-Help Letters | 第50-51页 |
| ·Modal Expressions in the Learners' Letters: Realizations, Types, Orientations, Values and Sources | 第51-53页 |
| ·Semantic Interpretation of the Learners' Letters | 第53-54页 |
| ·Comparative Analysis Between the Learners' Letters and the Model Letter | 第54-68页 |
| ·Reasons for the Comparative Analysis | 第54-57页 |
| ·Reasons for Comparisons between the Learners' Letters and the Model Letter | 第57-58页 |
| ·Comparison on the General Use of Modal Expressions | 第58-63页 |
| ·Comparison on the Use of Metaphors of Modality | 第63-65页 |
| ·Comparison on the Clauses in the Endings of the Learners' Letters | 第65-68页 |
| ·Discussions of the Study | 第68-71页 |
| ·Immaturity in the Employment of Modal Expressions by Chinese EFL Learners | 第68-70页 |
| ·Employment of Circumstantial Adjuncts, Modal Adjuncts and Conjunctive Adjuncts by Chinese EFL Learners | 第70-71页 |
| Chapter Four Theoretical and Pedagogical Implications | 第71-79页 |
| ·Theoretical Implications | 第71-74页 |
| ·Modal Adjuncts and Adjuncts of Modality | 第71-73页 |
| ·Realizations of the English Modality | 第73-74页 |
| ·Pedagogical Implications | 第74-79页 |
| ·Functional Grammar and Other Linguistic Theories | 第74页 |
| ·Roles of Modality and Modality Consciousness | 第74-77页 |
| ·Modality Consciousness and EFL Writing | 第77-79页 |
| Conclusion | 第79-82页 |
| Bibliography | 第82-84页 |
| Appendices | 第84页 |
| Appendix 1: 30 "Just Ask" Letters | 第84-90页 |
| Appendix 2: Statistics of Modal Expressions in the 30 Letters | 第90-96页 |
| Appendix 3: 5 "Just Ask" Letters in Collection 2002 (Ⅰ) | 第96-98页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第98-99页 |
| 攻读硕士学位期间发表的作品目录 | 第99页 |
