| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| 摘要 | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-8页 |
| Contents | 第8-11页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第11-18页 |
| ·Background of the Study | 第11-14页 |
| ·Significance of the Study | 第14-16页 |
| ·Objectives of the Study | 第16页 |
| ·Organization of the Thesis | 第16-18页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第18-44页 |
| ·Overview of Vague Language | 第18-37页 |
| ·Definition of vague language | 第18-21页 |
| ·Distinguishing Vague Language from Other Terms-Fuzziness, Generality, Ambiguity | 第21-25页 |
| ·Review of Previous Research on Vague Language from Home and Abroad | 第25-37页 |
| ·Overview of Business Correspondence | 第37-40页 |
| ·Definition of Business Correspondence | 第37-38页 |
| ·Classification of Business Correspondence | 第38-39页 |
| ·Principles for Business Correspondence Writing | 第39-40页 |
| ·Review of Previous Studies on Vague Language in Business Correspondence | 第40-43页 |
| ·Summary | 第43-44页 |
| Chapter Three Theoretical Framework and Research Methodology | 第44-56页 |
| ·Adaptation Theory | 第44-48页 |
| ·Overview of Adaptation Theory | 第44-45页 |
| ·Three Notions of Adaptation Theory | 第45-46页 |
| ·Four aspects of Adaptation Theory | 第46-48页 |
| ·Cooperative Principle | 第48-52页 |
| ·Overview of the Cooperative Principle | 第48-49页 |
| ·Conversational Maxims | 第49-50页 |
| ·Flouting of the maxims of the Cooperative Principle | 第50-52页 |
| ·Methodology | 第52-55页 |
| ·Data Collection | 第53页 |
| ·Methodology of Analysis | 第53-55页 |
| ·Summary | 第55-56页 |
| Chapter Four Pragmatic Analysis of Vague Language in Business Correspondences | 第56-87页 |
| ·A Quantitative Study of the Vague Language in Business Correspondences | 第56-72页 |
| ·Vague Language Related to Sales and Establishing Business Relations | 第56-60页 |
| ·Vague Language Related to Inquiry and Offer | 第60-63页 |
| ·Vague Language Related to Counter-offer and Counter-counter offer | 第63-65页 |
| ·Vague Language Related to Order and Payment | 第65-67页 |
| ·Vague Language Related to Insurance and Shipment | 第67-68页 |
| ·Vague Language Related to Complaint and Settlement | 第68-70页 |
| ·Summary | 第70-72页 |
| ·A Qualitative Study of the Vague Language in Business Correspondences | 第72-85页 |
| ·Cooperative Principle Applied in Vague Language | 第72-80页 |
| ·Adaptation Theory Applied in Vague Language | 第80-85页 |
| ·Summary | 第85-87页 |
| Chapter Five Pragmatic Functions of Vague Langue in Business Correspondence | 第87-90页 |
| ·Increasing the Appropriateness of Business Language | 第87页 |
| ·Making the Writing More Polite | 第87-88页 |
| ·Enhancing the Persuasiveness | 第88页 |
| ·Ensuring Self-Protection and Crisis Avoidance | 第88-89页 |
| ·Summary | 第89-90页 |
| Chapter Six Conclusion | 第90-94页 |
| ·Major Findings | 第90-91页 |
| ·Limitations | 第91-92页 |
| ·Suggestions for Further Study | 第92-94页 |
| Bibliography | 第94-100页 |
| Appendix | 第100-134页 |
