| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract (English) | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract (Chinese) | 第6-10页 |
| 1. Introduction | 第10-23页 |
| ·Motivation for the research of discourse marker why | 第10-11页 |
| ·Definition of discourse marker | 第11-14页 |
| ·Terminological diversity | 第11页 |
| ·Different definitions and descriptions on discourse marker | 第11-14页 |
| ·Literature review | 第14-19页 |
| ·Schiffrin’s coherence-theoretic analysis of discourse marke | 第16-17页 |
| ·Blakemore’s relevance-theoretic analysis of discourse marke | 第17-19页 |
| ·Coherence-relations based theories vs. Relevance Theory | 第19-21页 |
| ·A brief discussion on the functions of why | 第21-23页 |
| 2.An analysis of discourse marker why within Schiffrin’s model of coherence | 第23-54页 |
| ·Why in local coherence | 第24-34页 |
| ·Why in answers | 第24-27页 |
| ·Why in non-compliance | 第27-30页 |
| ·Why in agreement, compliance and appreciation | 第30-32页 |
| ·Why in making inference | 第32-34页 |
| ·Why in non-local coherence | 第34-41页 |
| ·Why in focusing hearer’s attention | 第34-36页 |
| ·Why in arguments | 第36-38页 |
| ·Why in narrative | 第38-41页 |
| ·Why in information management tasks | 第41-54页 |
| ·Why as information recognition display | 第41-44页 |
| ·Why as information receipt | 第44-50页 |
| ·Why and you know | 第50-54页 |
| 3.A relevance-theoretic analysis of why | 第54-65页 |
| ·Why with different prosodic features | 第54-57页 |
| ·Why: an indicator to negotiate context | 第57-65页 |
| ·Why as a face-threat mitigator | 第57-59页 |
| ·Why as a marker of insufficiency | 第59-61页 |
| ·Why as a frame | 第61-63页 |
| ·Why as a delay device | 第63-65页 |
| 4.An analysis of why from pragmatic point of view | 第65-71页 |
| ·Why as a deictic expression | 第65-67页 |
| ·Why as a marker of turn-taking in local management system | 第67-69页 |
| ·Why as a back-channel | 第69-71页 |
| 5.A diachronic research on marker why | 第71-79页 |
| ·A quantitative diachronic study on marker why | 第71-75页 |
| ·A comparison of marker why between Shakespeare’s works and BNC Spoken | 第75-79页 |
| 6.Other markers which share common features with marker why | 第79-91页 |
| ·Well | 第79-86页 |
| ·A marker of insufficiency | 第79-80页 |
| ·A face-threat mitigator | 第80-81页 |
| ·A delay device | 第81-82页 |
| ·A frame | 第82-83页 |
| ·A marker of turn-taking | 第83-84页 |
| ·Justification | 第84页 |
| ·Information receipt | 第84-85页 |
| ·Compliance | 第85页 |
| ·Indignation | 第85-86页 |
| ·Oh | 第86-87页 |
| ·Anyway | 第87-88页 |
| ·What | 第88-89页 |
| ·Hey | 第89-91页 |
| Conclusion | 第91-92页 |
| References | 第92-101页 |
| 论文独创性声明 | 第101页 |
| 论文使用授权声明 | 第101-102页 |
