| Acknowledgement | 第1-3页 |
| Declaration | 第3-4页 |
| 摘要 | 第4-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-7页 |
| Contents | 第7-9页 |
| Abbreviations | 第9-10页 |
| Tables and charts | 第10-11页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第11-14页 |
| ·Gender and language: the issue | 第11-12页 |
| ·Compliment: the language resources for the research | 第12页 |
| ·The current study-Application of AS to gender and compliment | 第12-13页 |
| ·Organization of this thesis | 第13-14页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature review on gender and language studies and studies on compliment | 第14-31页 |
| ·Gender and language study. | 第14-23页 |
| ·Defining Sex and Gender | 第14-15页 |
| ·The development of language and gender theories | 第15-23页 |
| ·Theory of dualistic opposite | 第15-21页 |
| ·Social constructionist gender theory | 第21-23页 |
| ·Compliment studies | 第23-31页 |
| ·Overview: what is a compliment? | 第23-25页 |
| ·Compliment formulas | 第25-28页 |
| ·Compliment topics | 第28-29页 |
| ·Compliment functions | 第29-31页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical framework—APPRAISAL SYSTEM | 第31-40页 |
| ·Overview | 第31-33页 |
| ·Three Sub-systems of the APPRAISAL system | 第33-35页 |
| ·More detailed explanation of the sub systems under ATTITUDE | 第35-38页 |
| ·AFFECT | 第36-37页 |
| ·JUDGMENT | 第37-38页 |
| ·APPRECIATION | 第38页 |
| ·Studies on APPRAISAL | 第38-40页 |
| Chapter 4 Research Questions and Methodology | 第40-49页 |
| ·The Research Question of this study: Gender and Compliments under AS | 第40-41页 |
| ·Subjects | 第41页 |
| ·Instrument and materials | 第41-43页 |
| ·Discourse Completion Test | 第41-42页 |
| ·Design of the questionnaires | 第42-43页 |
| ·Analytical Tool | 第43-45页 |
| ·AFFECTIVE compliment | 第44页 |
| ·JUDGMENTAL compliment | 第44页 |
| ·APPRECLATIONAL compliment | 第44-45页 |
| ·Data coding system | 第45-46页 |
| ·Single compliment, complex compliment & Non-compliment | 第46-49页 |
| ·Single compliment and complex compliment | 第46-47页 |
| ·Non-compliment | 第47-49页 |
| Chapter 5 Results, interpretation and discussion | 第49-75页 |
| ·Gender and Attitudinal compliment ("AC ") | 第50-61页 |
| ·Comparison between two gender groups on AC | 第50-52页 |
| ·Gender differences in AC within two subject groups | 第52-55页 |
| ·Comparison of AC between two subject groups | 第55-61页 |
| ·AC to women VS AC to men | 第61-68页 |
| ·General Comparison between AC to females and to males | 第61-62页 |
| ·Comparison of AC to women and by each type of subjects | 第62-64页 |
| ·Gender difference in terms of the AC paid to women and men | 第64-68页 |
| ·Summary of findings | 第68-69页 |
| ·Community of practice | 第69-73页 |
| ·Further Findings-Chinese AC | 第73-75页 |
| Chapter 6 Conclusion | 第75-79页 |
| ·Summary of the present research and major Findings. | 第75-76页 |
| ·Significance of the research | 第76-77页 |
| ·Limitations of the Present research and Prospects for future work | 第77-79页 |
| Appendix A | 第79-81页 |
| Appendix B | 第81-89页 |
| Working Bibliography | 第89-91页 |
