| Acknowledgements | 第1-7页 |
| Abstract (English) | 第7-9页 |
| Abstract (Chinese) | 第9-11页 |
| List of abbreviations | 第11-12页 |
| Chapter one Introduction | 第12-16页 |
| ·Trigger of the present study | 第12-13页 |
| ·Research questions | 第13-14页 |
| ·Content of the thesis | 第14-16页 |
| Chapter two Literature review | 第16-27页 |
| ·Content of previous studies on small words (SWs) | 第16-20页 |
| ·Definition of SWs | 第16-17页 |
| ·Forms of SWs | 第17-18页 |
| ·Positions of SWs | 第18-19页 |
| ·Functions of SWs | 第19-20页 |
| ·Theoretical basis of SWs studies | 第20-23页 |
| ·Methods of SWs studies | 第23-24页 |
| ·Learner corpus and SWs study | 第24-26页 |
| ·Comment on previous studies on SWs | 第26-27页 |
| Chapter three Analytic framework | 第27-44页 |
| ·Research design | 第27-29页 |
| ·Frequency in use | 第27-28页 |
| ·Functions in use | 第28-29页 |
| ·Methods and procedures | 第29-44页 |
| ·Organizing database for the present study | 第29-30页 |
| ·Deciding 19 forms of SWs for investigation | 第30-31页 |
| ·Identifying SWs in three corpora | 第31-34页 |
| ·Retrieving types and frequency of SWs | 第34-35页 |
| ·Classifying functions of SWs | 第35-44页 |
| Chapter four Results and findings | 第44-54页 |
| ·Types and frequency of SWs in three corpora | 第44-48页 |
| ·Functions of SWs in three corpora: three case studies | 第48-52页 |
| ·Functional uses of just in three corpora | 第49-50页 |
| ·Functional uses of I think in three corpora | 第50页 |
| ·Functional uses of well in three corpora | 第50-52页 |
| ·Developmental features of SWs used by Chinese EFL learners | 第52-54页 |
| ·Developmental features of frequency of SWs in use | 第52-53页 |
| ·Developmental features of functional uses of SWs | 第53-54页 |
| Chapter five Conclusion and implications | 第54-58页 |
| ·Conclusion | 第54-56页 |
| ·Implications | 第56页 |
| ·Limitations | 第56-58页 |
| Bibliography: | 第58-61页 |
