Acknowledgements

This book is largely based on my doctoral dissertation completed at Nanjing University in 2012. During the course of doing this project, many people have offered me all kinds of help. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to them.

First, my heartfelt gratitude is due to my supervisor, Professor Chen Xinren. It is he who guided me into the field of pragmatics when I started to work on my MA project in Nanjing University in 2003. His devotion to and enthusiasm about teaching and research deeply impressed me. Throughout this research, he has constantly provided many brilliant ideas, insightful suggestions and constructive views at every stage. Without his patient page-by-page scrutiny of every draft, the book would not have taken the present shape. What I have learned from him will benefit me throughout my life.

I am also grateful to Professor Wang Haixiao, Professor Wei Xiangqing,Professor Li Zhanzi, Professor Chen Hua, Professor He Ziran, Professor Ma Guanghui, Profesor Tian Hailong, Professor Xin Bin and Professor Zhanghui,Professor Ding Yanren and Professor Zhang Ren, who have offered me many insightful suggestions for this research project. I benefits greatly from their constructive views at different stages of writing this book.

My thanks also go to Dr. Laura Wright from the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge, whose seminar on sociolinguistics provided me with opportunities to present my research proposal and collect valuable suggestions when I was an academic visitor at RCEAL, Cambridge. I wish to thank Ms. Jenifer Spencer, from Heriot-Watt University, who took pains proofreading the manuscripts of the original dissertation.

I would like to thank my doctoral classmates, Mao Yansheng, Li Min, Hu Xuhui, Jing Xiaoping, Yuan Zhoumin, Deng Jing, Yu Rui, Gao Hong, Wang Xueyu,Cao Yanli, Sun Xiaochun, Lu Jiawei, Wu Jue, Qian Yonghong, Chen Juan, Tao Zhu, Pang Jiaguang, Pu Lixin and Li Ying, for all kinds of help they have provided for me throughout this research project. I also wish to thank all the paricipants in Thesis Seminars for their critical views and valuable suggestions on my research.

I also owe a lot to Mrs. Chen Jing, from Nanjing University, who is always happy to offer me valuable suggestions on how to deal with difficulties in my life and study, and whose optimism, kindheartedness and wisdom have a great influence on me. A special word of thanks also goes to Mrs. Chen Aihua, who is responsible for graduate affairs in the English Department, for her constant help during the years of my stay at Nanjing University.

I also owe my gratitude to my colleagues in Lanzhou University of Technology, Professor Shi Shunliang, Mr. Shui Wudi, Mrs. Liu Pin and Dr. Gao Wei for their help and encouragement. I wish to thank my friends Qiao Xiufeng,Wang Jinan, Li Zhanxi, Wu Jianguo, Zhan Quanwang, Liu Junli, Liao Changyin and some others for their help and kind encouragement when I was at Cambridge.

Last but not least, I want to thank my family for their unfailing support and understanding during the writing of this book.