Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Scope of the study
1.2 Research questions
1.3 Significance of the study
1.4 Outline of the study
Chapter 2 Literature review
2.1 Clause topics
2.1.1 Different understandings of topic
2.1.2 Major syntactic properties of topics
2.1.3 Categorization of topics
2.2 Topic structures
2.3 Discourse functions of topics
Chapter 3 Methodology
3.1 Data
3.1.1 Data sources
3.1.2 Data collection and transcription
3.2 Creation of the corpora
3 3 Coding of data
3.4 Data processing
Chapter 4 Linguistic units as CIP topics
4.1 IntrOductiOn
4.2 Research questions
4.3 Data coding
4.4 Results and discussion
4.4.1 Categorical distribution of units as CIP topics
4.4.2 Noun phrases:the prototype category
4.4.3 Demonstratives:a neglected category
4.4.4 Embedded clauses
4.4.5 Apposition constructions
4.4.6 Classifier phrases
4.4.7 Verb phrases
4.5 A comparison between Chinese and English
4.6 Summary
Chapter 5 Syntactic patterns of CIPT clauses
5.1 IntrOductiOn
5.2 Research questions
5.3 Design
5 4 Syntactic patterns of CIPT clauses
5.4.1 Data coding
5.4.2 Syntactic patterns identified
5.4.3 Results and discussion
5.5 A comparison between CIPT clauses in Chinese and topicalizations in English
5.5.1 TSV in Chinese VS OSV in English
5.5.2 Informational status of topics in TSV and OSV
5.5.3 A quantitative comparison between TSV and OSV
5.6 An alternative perspective:a drama text-based study of CIPT clauses in written Chinese
5.6.1 Data
5.6.2 Syntactic patterns identified
5.6.3 Difference between written and spoken Chinese
5.7 English translations of CIPT clauses
5.7.1 Syntax of translations
5.7.2 An empirical study of CIPT clause translations
5.7.3 Gap between SL and TL
5.8 Summary
Chapter 6 CIP topics:discoursal associations
6.1 IntrOductiOn
6.2 Research questions
6.3 Measurements of discoursal associations
6.3.1 Size of discourse chunk
6.3.2 Semantic connection
6.3.3 Gauging of discoursal associations
6 4 Semantic connection revisited
6.4.1 Lexical reiteration
6.4.2 Lexical collocation
6.4.3 Distinguishing expressions
6.4.4 Mixed connections
6.4.5 Di.and split-connections
6.4.6 Poset relation
6.4.7 Data analysis
6.5 Discoursal associations on the part of CIP topics
6.5.1 Contextual clauses associated with CIP topics
6.5.2 Distribution of associated clauses in relation to position
6.5.3 NP topics VS pooled topics:a comparison
6.5.4 Prototypical subcategories of noun phrases in TOP
6.5.5 Discoursal association patterns
6.6 Discussion
6.6.1 Discoursal associations:a cognitive interpretation
6.6.2 Some thoughts on Gregory and Michaelis’S study
6.7 Summery
Chapter 7 Conclusion
7.1 Summary of major findings
7.2 Implications
7.3 Limitations
Bibliography