| Abstract | 第1-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第6-10页 |
| Introduction | 第10-14页 |
| ·Background of the Study | 第10-11页 |
| ·Aims of the Thesis | 第11页 |
| ·Organization of the Thesis | 第11-14页 |
| Chapter 1 Literature Review | 第14-26页 |
| ·A Review of the System of Tense | 第14-18页 |
| ·Multi-tense Systems | 第14-16页 |
| ·The Bi-tense System | 第16-17页 |
| ·Comments on the System of Tense | 第17-18页 |
| ·AReview of the Definition of Tense | 第18-26页 |
| ·Definitions Provided by Scholars Abroad | 第18-19页 |
| ·Definitions Provided by Scholars at Home | 第19-20页 |
| ·Comments on the Definition of Tense | 第20-26页 |
| Chapter 2 Theoretical Foundation | 第26-40页 |
| ·The Prototype Theory | 第26-36页 |
| ·The Concept of "Category" | 第26-27页 |
| ·The Prototype of a Category | 第27-30页 |
| ·Definition of the Prototype | 第27-29页 |
| ·Characteristics of the Prototype Category | 第29-30页 |
| ·The Non-prototypical Members of a Category | 第30-32页 |
| ·The Relationship between the Prototype and the Non-prototypical Members | 第32-34页 |
| ·The Extension of a Category | 第34-35页 |
| ·The Mechanisms of the Extension of a Category | 第35-36页 |
| ·Metaphor Theory | 第36-40页 |
| ·Metaphor as a Mode of Thinking | 第36-38页 |
| ·Metaphorical Projection | 第38-40页 |
| Chapter 3 Tense as a Grammatical Category | 第40-54页 |
| ·The Meaning of Tense in English | 第40-44页 |
| ·The Action State | 第40-41页 |
| ·The Reference Time | 第41-42页 |
| ·The Time Relations | 第42-44页 |
| ·The Subcategories of Tense | 第44-54页 |
| ·The Present Tense | 第44-49页 |
| ·The Meaning of the Present Tense | 第44-47页 |
| ·Time Relation of Objective Connection | 第45-46页 |
| ·Time Relation of Subjective Connection | 第46-47页 |
| ·The Nature of the Present Tense | 第47-49页 |
| ·The Past Tense | 第49-54页 |
| ·The Meaning of the Past Tense | 第49-52页 |
| ·Time Relation of Objective Distance | 第49-50页 |
| ·Time Relation of Subjective Distance | 第50-52页 |
| ·The Nature of the Past Tense | 第52-54页 |
| Chapter 4 The Present Tense as a Prototype Category | 第54-68页 |
| ·The Prototype of the Present Tense | 第54-56页 |
| ·The Non-prototype of the Present Tense | 第56-59页 |
| ·The Extension of the Present Tense from the Prototype to the Non -prototypical Members | 第59-68页 |
| Chapter 5 The Past Tense as a Prototype Category | 第68-78页 |
| ·The Prototype of the Past Tense | 第68-69页 |
| ·The Non-prototypical Members of the Past Tense | 第69-73页 |
| ·The Extension of the Past Tense from the Prototype to the Non -prototypical Members | 第73-78页 |
| Conclusion | 第78-82页 |
| Bibliography | 第82-86页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第86-88页 |
