| Acknowledgements | 第1-7页 |
| Abstract | 第7-9页 |
| 内容摘要 | 第9-10页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第10-14页 |
| ·The Rationale of the Study | 第10-11页 |
| ·The Objective of the Study | 第11-12页 |
| ·The Structure of the Study | 第12-14页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第14-29页 |
| ·Definition of English Parentheses | 第14-16页 |
| ·Classification of English Parentheses | 第16-22页 |
| ·Previous Studies on English Parentheses | 第22-27页 |
| ·Overseas Research of English Parentheses | 第22-24页 |
| ·Domestic Research of English Parentheses | 第24-27页 |
| ·An Overview of the Previous Studies | 第27-28页 |
| ·Summary | 第28-29页 |
| Chapter Three The Theoretical Base | 第29-41页 |
| ·Verschueren's Adaptation Theory | 第29-35页 |
| ·Choice-making | 第30-32页 |
| ·Angles of Investigation | 第32-33页 |
| ·The Dynamics of Adaptation | 第33-35页 |
| ·The Notion of Communicative Context | 第35-37页 |
| ·The implications to the present study of the Use of Parentheses | 第37-39页 |
| ·Use of Parentheses as a Result of Linguistic Choice-making | 第37-38页 |
| ·Use of Parentheses as a Product of Dynamic Adaptation | 第38-39页 |
| ·Summary | 第39-41页 |
| Chapter Four English Parentheses as Adaptation to Communicative Context | 第41-55页 |
| ·Linguistic Choices of English Parentheses—Pesult of Linguistic Adaptation | 第41-42页 |
| ·English Parentheses as Adaptation to the Mental World | 第42-50页 |
| ·Adaptation to the Utterer's Personality Traits | 第43-44页 |
| ·Adaptation to the Utterer's Intentions | 第44-48页 |
| ·Topic-Introducing | 第44-45页 |
| ·Emphasizing | 第45-46页 |
| ·Self-correction | 第46页 |
| ·Reinforcing the illocutionary force of a speech act | 第46-47页 |
| ·Adaptation to Avoid Commitment | 第47-48页 |
| ·Adaptation to Humor-creating | 第48页 |
| ·Adaptation to the Utterer's Emotion | 第48-49页 |
| ·Adaptation to the Interpreter's Emotion | 第49-50页 |
| ·English Parentheses as Adaptation to the Social World | 第50-53页 |
| ·Adaptation to Language Users'Social Positions | 第51-52页 |
| ·Adaptation to Cultural Conventions | 第52-53页 |
| ·English Parentheses as Adaptation to the Physical World | 第53-54页 |
| ·Summary | 第54-55页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第55-58页 |
| ·Major Findings of the Study | 第55-56页 |
| ·Implications of the Study | 第56页 |
| ·Limitations and Prospects for Future Research | 第56-58页 |
| References | 第58-61页 |
