| Acknowledgements | 第1-7页 |
| Abstract | 第7-9页 |
| 摘要 | 第9-13页 |
| List of Abbreviation | 第13-14页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第14-19页 |
| ·General Description of the Study | 第14-16页 |
| ·Necessity of the Study | 第16-17页 |
| ·Overall Structure of the Thesis | 第17-19页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第19-40页 |
| ·Theme and Rheme | 第19-27页 |
| ·Definition of Theme and Rheme | 第19-20页 |
| ·Distinction of Theme and Rheme | 第20-22页 |
| ·Classification of Theme | 第22-26页 |
| ·Functions of Theme | 第26-27页 |
| ·Thematic Progression Theory | 第27-34页 |
| ·Definition of Thematic Progression | 第27-29页 |
| ·Six Patterns of Thematic Progression | 第29-34页 |
| ·Argumentation Writing | 第34-36页 |
| ·Characteristic of Argumentative Writing | 第34-35页 |
| ·Teaching Theories applying in Argumentative Writing | 第35-36页 |
| ·Relation between Thematic Progression and Argumentative Writing | 第36-37页 |
| ·Problems in Argumentative Writing | 第36页 |
| ·The Possibility of Applying Thematic Progression into Argumentative Writing | 第36-37页 |
| ·Previous Study Both at Home and Abroad | 第37-40页 |
| ·Researches Abroad | 第37-38页 |
| ·Researches at Home | 第38-40页 |
| Chapter 3 Research Methodology | 第40-59页 |
| ·Research Questions | 第40-41页 |
| ·Research Subject | 第41-42页 |
| ·Instruments | 第42-44页 |
| ·Corpus Design | 第44-45页 |
| ·Native Speaker Corpus | 第44页 |
| ·Chinese Learner Corpus | 第44-45页 |
| ·Research Procedures | 第45-56页 |
| ·Data Collection and Data Analysis | 第56-59页 |
| Chapter 4 Result and Discussion | 第59-74页 |
| ·Results of the Study | 第59-63页 |
| ·Thematic progression Patterns Used by American Students | 第59页 |
| ·Thematic progression Patterns Used by Chinese Students | 第59-60页 |
| ·Comparisons of the Patterns Used by both Chinese and American Students | 第60-63页 |
| ·Discussions | 第63-74页 |
| ·The Main TP Patterns used in American and Chinese College Students’ Argumentative Texts | 第63-68页 |
| ·The Similarities and Diversities of the TP Patterns used in American and Chinese College Students’ Argumentative texts | 第68-74页 |
| Chapter 5 Conclusion | 第74-81页 |
| ·Implications | 第74-76页 |
| ·Major Findings of the Study | 第76-78页 |
| ·Limitations of the Study | 第78-80页 |
| ·Suggestions for Further Study | 第80-81页 |
| References | 第81-85页 |
