| Acknowledgements | 第1-9页 |
| 摘要 | 第9-11页 |
| Abstract in English | 第11-13页 |
| Typographical Conventions | 第13-14页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview | 第14-27页 |
| ·The Notions of Modality | 第14-18页 |
| ·Basic Concept:Modality | 第14-15页 |
| ·Basic Distinctions | 第15页 |
| ·Types of Modality | 第15-18页 |
| ·Previous Work | 第18-21页 |
| ·Structuralism | 第18-20页 |
| ·Post-structuralism | 第20-21页 |
| ·Approaches from Linguistic Categorization and the Recourse to Decategorialization | 第21-24页 |
| ·The Goals of the Present Work | 第24-25页 |
| ·Revealing the Derivational Relationship between the Subcategories of English Modality | 第24-25页 |
| ·Providing an Analysis to Modal Polysemy and Intermediate Status of Modal Verbs | 第25页 |
| ·Structure of the Thesis | 第25-27页 |
| Chapter 2 Research Method | 第27-29页 |
| Chapter 3 The Categorization of Modality:Grammaticalization of Modal Verbs | 第29-38页 |
| ·Grammaticalization | 第29-30页 |
| ·The Evolution of English Modals | 第30-33页 |
| ·Modal Notions | 第33-34页 |
| ·Logic Connection between Modal Notions | 第34-37页 |
| ·Summary | 第37-38页 |
| Chapter 4 Decategorialization of Modality | 第38-66页 |
| ·Categorization and its Modes | 第38-42页 |
| ·Decategorialization:as a Cognitive Mode | 第42-44页 |
| ·Modals as a Polysemous Category | 第44-45页 |
| ·(Reference) Prototype Modality | 第45-49页 |
| ·An Illustration of Deontic Modality as Prototype:[MUST] and [MAY] | 第45-47页 |
| ·An Illustration of Dynamic Modality as Prototype:[CAN], [WILL] and [SHALL] | 第47-49页 |
| ·Paths of Development from Dynamic/deontic to Epistemic Modality | 第49-60页 |
| ·From Deontic to Epistemic | 第49-54页 |
| ·From Dynamic to Epistemic | 第54-59页 |
| ·Past Time Modifications | 第59-60页 |
| ·Semantic and Morpho-Syntactic Properties of English Modal Verbs | 第60-62页 |
| ·NICE Properties of Modal Verbs | 第60-61页 |
| ·An Explication from the Decategorialization View | 第61-62页 |
| ·Intermediate Status of Modal Verbs and Vagueness of Modal Notions | 第62-64页 |
| ·Summary | 第64-66页 |
| Chapter 5 Further Perspective:Other Types of English Modal Expressions and Conclusion | 第66-77页 |
| ·Other Types of Modal Expressions | 第66-73页 |
| ·Semi-auxiliaries/Quasi-modals and Emerging Modals | 第66-68页 |
| ·Mood | 第68-69页 |
| ·Lexical Means | 第69-71页 |
| ·Modal adverbs and adjectives | 第69-70页 |
| ·Modal tags or adjuncts | 第70页 |
| ·Modal particles | 第70-71页 |
| ·Double/Multi-Modal Constructions | 第71-73页 |
| ·Conclusion | 第73-74页 |
| ·Further Perspectives and Current Limitations | 第74-77页 |
| References | 第77-81页 |
| Publications | 第81页 |
