Acknowledgements
Abbreviations & Symbols
Tables & Figures
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Orientation of the Title
1.2 Motivations of the Present Study
1.3 The Concept and Criteria of Requests
1.4 Intonation of Speech Acts
1.5 The Nature of the Present Study
1.6 Propositional Opacity of Requests
1.7 Methods
1.8 The Aims and Hypotheses of the Present Study
1.9 Layout and Scope of the Present Study
1.10 Summary
Chapter 2 Theoretical Background to the Contrastive Study of Requests in English and Chinese
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Pragmatics： Language Use in Contexts
2.3 Cross-cultural Pragmatics
2.4 Sociopragmatics
2.5 Interlanguage Pragmatics
2.6 Metapragmatics
2.7 Interpersonal Relationship Studies
2.8 Linguistic Strategies
2.9 Speech Act Theories
2.10 Direct and Indirect Speech Acts
2.11 Direct & Indirect Speech Acts and Politeness
2.12 Empirically-based Cognitive Model of Speech Acts
2.13 Request Classification and Request Strategies
2.13.1 Request Classification
2.13.2 Formal Means of Requests
2.13.3 Structural Components of Requests
2.13.4 Request Strategy： a Functional Perspective
2.13.5 Modifications of Requests
2.14 Politeness Theories
2.15 Politeness of Requests
2.16 Literature Review of Request Studies by Chinese Scholars
2.17 Summary
Chapter 3 Request Data Collection： Design and Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Examples of Requests in English and Chinese in the Actual Discourse
3.3 Subjects and Procedure
3.4 The Questionnaire
3.4.1 The Discourse Completion Test
3.4.2 Modifications of the DCT for the Present Study
3.5 Summary
Chapter 4 Analysis and Discussion of the Results
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Request Forms in English and Chinese
4.2.1 Similarities
4.2.2 Differences
4.3 Situational Variations and Situational Sets in the Use of Strategies
4.3.1 Situational Variations in the Use of Strategies
4.3.2 Distribution of Main Request Strategy Categories in the Six Situation Sets
4.3.3 Cross-cultural Differences in the Interaction
4.3.4 Summary
4.4 Major Variables in the Use of Request Strategy
4.4.1 Social Distance and Dominance
4.4.2 Controllability of Acts
4.4.3 Age
4.4.4 Sex
4.5 Modifications of Requests
4.5.1 The AM Group
4.5.2 The IL Group
4.5.3 The CHN Group
4.5.4 Summary
4.6 Pre-modification of Requests
4.6.1 The AM Group
4.6.2 The IL Group
4.6.3 The CHN Group
4.6.4 Summary
4.7 Tokens Used in the Requests among the Three Groups
4.7.1 The AM Group
4.7.2 The IL Group
4.7.3 The CHN Group
4.7.4 Summary
4.8 Request Perspectives
4.8.1 Introduction
4.8.2 In Situation （-SD， X=Y）
4.8.3 In Situation （-SD， X 4.8.4 In Situation （+SD， X>Y）
4.8.5 Summary
4.9 Initiating Markers of Requests
4.9.1 Address Form
4.9.2 "Excuse me" and "Sorry" .
4.9.3 The Typical Request Markers "Please" and "ii~"
4.10 Other Inferring Strategies Used in the Requesting Action
4.11 Special Strategies of Requests ~ A Metonymic Approach
4.12 The Disease to Please
4.13 Tentative Analyses of the Common Features of Request Production
4.14 Responses to Requests
4.14.1 Introduction
4.14.2 The AM Group
4.14.3 The IL Group
4.14.4 The CHN Group
4.14.5 Summary
4.14.6 Social Distance， Dominance and Sex in the Responses
4.15 Tentative Analyses of the Common Features of Request Responses
4.16 From Requests to Apologies
4.17 Summary
Chapter 5 Conclusions
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Major Findings
5.3 Tentative Analyses from the Cultural Perspective
5.4 Chinese Politeness from Responding to Compliments
5.5 Pragmatic Tact in Language Use ：
5.6 Cross-cultural Pragmatic Failure and Pragmatic Competence Development in the ForeignLanguage Teaching
5.6.1 Cross-cultural Pragmatic Failure
5.6.2 Pragmatic Competence and its Teachability
5.7 Speculations about the Weaknesses of this Study
5.7.1 The C-constituting Model of Communication
5.7.2 Nonverbal Language
5.7.3 Sequences of Speech Acts
5.7.4 Suggested Future Research Dimensions
5.8 Conclusions
Appendix Ⅰ： A Glossary in English and Chinese
Appendix Ⅱ： Questionnaire of requests （the English version）
Appendix Ⅲ： Questionnaire of requests （the Chinese version）
Appendix Ⅳ： Idiomatic Expressions of Requests in English
Appendix Ⅴ： Idiomatic Expressions of Requests in Chinese
Appendix Ⅵ： Dr. Braiker's 21 Day Action Plan to Cure People-Pleasing Disease Bibliography
