| Abstract | 第4-6页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-12页 |
| Introduction | 第12-16页 |
| 0.1 Background of the Study | 第12-13页 |
| 0.2 Objectives of the Study | 第13-15页 |
| 0.3 Organization of This Thesis | 第15-16页 |
| Chapter One Literature Review | 第16-28页 |
| 1.1 Studies on the Sequence of Tenses Abroad | 第16-21页 |
| 1.1.1 The Study by Quirk et al | 第16-18页 |
| 1.1.2 The Study by F.R. Palmer | 第18-19页 |
| 1.1.3 The Study by Rodney Huddleston | 第19-21页 |
| 1.2 Studies on the Sequence of Tenses at Home | 第21-25页 |
| 1.2.1 The Study by Zhang Daozhen | 第21-22页 |
| 1.2.2 The Study by Bo Bing | 第22页 |
| 1.2.3 The Study by Zhang Zhenbang | 第22-25页 |
| 1.2.4 The Study by Qin Yuxiang | 第25页 |
| 1.3 Comments on the Previous Studies | 第25-27页 |
| 1.4 Summary | 第27-28页 |
| Chapter Two Grounding Theory | 第28-40页 |
| 2.1 Grounding | 第28-31页 |
| 2.2 The Ground | 第31-32页 |
| 2.3 The Grounding Elements | 第32-38页 |
| 2.3.1 The Speaker | 第33-35页 |
| 2.3.2 The Reference Time | 第35-38页 |
| 2.4 Summary | 第38-40页 |
| Chapter Three The Grounding Nature and Motivation of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs | 第40-58页 |
| 3.1 The Grounding Nature of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs | 第40-52页 |
| 3.1.1 The Ground of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs | 第41-48页 |
| 3.1.1.1 The Ground of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs in Direct Speech | 第42-45页 |
| 3.1.1.2 The Ground of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs in Indirect Speech | 第45-48页 |
| 3.1.2 The Change in the Ground of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs | 第48-52页 |
| 3.1.2.1 The Change of the Speaker from Direct Speech Speaker to Indirect Speech Reporter | 第49-50页 |
| 3.1.2.2 The Change of the Reference Time from Direct Speech Ground to Indirect Speech Ground | 第50-52页 |
| 3.2 The Grounding Motivation of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs | 第52-56页 |
| 3.2.1 Conforming to the Reality Conception of Indirect Speech Reporter in the Indirect Speech Ground | 第53-54页 |
| 3.2.2 Conforming to the Reference Time in the Indirect Speech Ground | 第54-56页 |
| 3.3 Summary | 第56-58页 |
| Chapter Four Grounding Accounts of the Sequence of Tenses of English Verbs | 第58-82页 |
| 4.1 Grounding Account of the Backshift and Non-backshift of the Present Tense | 第58-67页 |
| 4.1.1 Grounding Account of the Backshift of the Present Tense | 第59-63页 |
| 4.1.2 Grounding Account of the Non-backshift of the Present Tense | 第63-67页 |
| 4.2 Grounding Account of the Backshift and Non-backshift of the Past Tense | 第67-74页 |
| 4.2.1 Grounding Account of the Backshift of the Past Tense | 第67-70页 |
| 4.2.2 Grounding Account of the Non-backshift of the Past Tense | 第70-74页 |
| 4.3 Grounding Account of the Backshift and Non-backshift of the Future Tense | 第74-80页 |
| 4.3.1 Grounding Account of the Backshift of the Future Tense | 第74-77页 |
| 4.3.2 Grounding Account of the Non-backshift of the Future Tense | 第77-80页 |
| 4.4 Summary | 第80-82页 |
| Conclusion | 第82-86页 |
| Bibliography | 第86-90页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第90-92页 |
