| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-10页 |
| List of Abbreviations | 第10-11页 |
| Lists of Tables and Figures | 第11-16页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第16-20页 |
| ·The Importance of Comforting and the Study | 第16-17页 |
| ·The Purpose of the Study and Research Questions | 第17-18页 |
| ·Methodology | 第18页 |
| ·The Organization of the Thesis | 第18-20页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review and Theoretical Framework | 第20-46页 |
| ·Speech Act of Comforting | 第20-34页 |
| ·Definitions of Comforting | 第20-22页 |
| ·Category of Illocutionary Acts Comforting Belongs to | 第22-24页 |
| ·Categorization of Comforting Strategies | 第24-29页 |
| ·Previous Approaches to the Analysis of Comforting | 第29-34页 |
| ·Interlanguage Pragmatics | 第34-39页 |
| ·Interlanguage | 第34-35页 |
| ·Interlanguage Pragmatics (ILP) | 第35-39页 |
| ·Pragmatic Fossilization | 第39-46页 |
| ·Fossilization | 第39-42页 |
| ·Pragmatic Fossilization | 第42-46页 |
| Chapter 3 Research Design | 第46-50页 |
| ·Research Objectives | 第46页 |
| ·Research Subjects | 第46-47页 |
| ·Research Instrument: DCT Questionnaire | 第47-48页 |
| ·Research Procedures | 第48-50页 |
| Chapter 4 Results and Discussion | 第50-86页 |
| ·Distribution of Comforting Strategies | 第50-80页 |
| ·Denial of Individual Perspectivity (Category D) | 第52-59页 |
| ·Implicit Recognition of Individual Perspectivity (Category IR) | 第59-67页 |
| ·Explicit Recognition and Elaboration of Individual Perspectivity (Category ER) | 第67-80页 |
| ·Discussion | 第80-86页 |
| ·Answers to the Top Research Question | 第80-81页 |
| ·Possible Causal Factors of Pragmatic Fossilization | 第81-86页 |
| Chapter 5 Conclusion | 第86-90页 |
| ·Major Findings of the Study | 第86-87页 |
| ·Implications | 第87-88页 |
| ·Limitations of the Study and Suggestions for Future Research | 第88-90页 |
| Bibliography | 第90-98页 |
| Appendices | 第98-102页 |
