| ABSTRACT | 第1-5页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-6页 |
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 第6-9页 |
| CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION | 第9-12页 |
| ·Motivation of the present study | 第9页 |
| ·Objectives of the present study | 第9-10页 |
| ·Organization of this thesis | 第10-12页 |
| CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW | 第12-23页 |
| ·Definitions and classifications of modal verbs can and neng | 第12-15页 |
| ·Previous studies on English and Chinese modal verbs can and neng | 第15-22页 |
| ·Limitations of previous studies and originality of the present study | 第22-23页 |
| CHAPTER THREE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY | 第23-31页 |
| ·Grammaticalization and its features | 第23-28页 |
| ·Definition of grammaticalization | 第23-25页 |
| ·Features of grammaticalization | 第25-27页 |
| ·Mechanisms of grammaticalization | 第27-28页 |
| ·Data collection and research methodology | 第28-30页 |
| ·Research questions of the study | 第30-31页 |
| CHAPTER FOUR A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF CAN AND NENG BASED ON GRAMMATICALIZATION | 第31-60页 |
| ·Semantic development of can | 第31-38页 |
| ·Can in Old English Stage | 第31-34页 |
| ·Can in Middle English Stage | 第34-36页 |
| ·Can in Modern English Stage | 第36-38页 |
| ·Semantic development of neng | 第38-45页 |
| ·Neng in Old Chinese Stage | 第38-41页 |
| ·Neng in Middle Chinese Stage | 第41-42页 |
| ·Neng in Modern Chinese Stage | 第42-45页 |
| ·Comparative analyses of can and neng based on the grammaticalization theory | 第45-48页 |
| ·Evolutionary similarities between English-Chinese modals can and neng | 第45-47页 |
| ·Evolutionary differences between English-Chinese modals can and neng | 第47-48页 |
| ·Mechanisms and motivations behind the evolutionary similarities and differences of English and Chinese modal verbs can and neng | 第48-60页 |
| ·Mechanisms for their evolutionary similarities | 第49-55页 |
| ·Motivations for their evolutionary similarities | 第55-56页 |
| ·Mechanism for their evolutionary differences:metaphor | 第56-60页 |
| CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION | 第60-63页 |
| ·Major findings | 第60-61页 |
| ·Theoretical and practical implications | 第61-62页 |
| ·Limitations and future research | 第62-63页 |
| REFERENCES | 第63-69页 |
