CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Background Information for the Current Study 1.3 Problem Statement 1.4 Notions of Topic, Theme–Rheme and Subject in the Current Study 1.5 Research Objective and Research Questions 1.6 Outline of the Thesis 1.7 Conclusion CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Development of SFL and the Interpretation of SFL Contributed by Previous Studies 2.3 The Process Types in Mandarin Outlined in Previous Studies 2.4 The Subject in Mandarin 2.5 The Textual Analysis on Chinese Clauses 2.6 Conclusion CHAPTER 3 LITERATURE REVIEW (CONTINUED) 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The Formation of the Typological View on Mandarin 3.3 The Evidence of Chinese Clauses with Topic-Comment Analysis 3.4 The Scope of TCS in Mandarin 3.5 The Influence of Li and Thompson's Studies 3.6 The Challenging Views on Li and Thompson's Typological View on Mandarin 3.7 The Analysis of the So–called TCS in Mandarin 3.8 Conclusion CHAPTER 4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Clause as Representation: the Ideational Meaning 4.3 Clause as Exchange: the Interpersonal Meaning 4.4 Clause as Message: the Textual Meaning 4.5 Grammatical Metaphor 4.6 Conclusion CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Data Description and Data Transcription 5.3 Notions of Sentence and Clause 5.4 Research Design 5.5 Conclusion CHAPTER 6 THE STUDY OF THE CONSTRUCTION NG + VG, NG + NG+ VG WITH AND WITHOUT “DOU” 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Background 6.3 The Occurrence and the Portion of the Constructions Focused on in This Chapter 6.4 The Analysis of the Construction with Syntagm Ng + Vg 6.5 The Analysis of the Construction with Syntagm Ng + Ng + Vg 6.6 The Analysis of the Construction with Syntagm Ng + Ng + Vg with “wulun...dou/ye” 6.7 The Analysis of the Construction with Syntagm Ng + Ng + Vg with “lian...dou/ye (all/also)” 6.8 Conclusion CHAPTER 7 THE STUDY OF THE OBJECT PRE-POSED SENTENCE 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Background 7.3 The Occurrence and the Portion of OPS 7.4 The Analysis of OPS 7.5 Conclusion CHAPTER 8 THE STUDY OF THE CHINESE–STYLE TOPIC–COMMENT SENTENCES 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Background 8.3 The Occurrence and the Portion of CSTCS 8.4 The Formation of CSTCS due to the Ellipsis of Some Elements in Discourse 8.5 The Formation of CSTCS due to the Repetition of Ngs 8.6 The Formation of CSTCS due to GM 8.7 Conclusion CHAPTER 9 DISCUSSION 9.1 Introduction 9.2 The Findings Obtained from the Quantitative Study of TCS 9.3 Research Question 9.4 Research Question 9.5 Research Question 9.6 Topic-Comment, Topic–Prominent Language, Topic–Comment Language 9.7 The Implication for the Methodology of Typological Studies on Other Languages 9.8 The Implication for Language Typology 9.9 The Implication for Language Teaching and Learning 9.10 Conclusion CHAPTER 10 CONCLUSION 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Summary of the Findings of the Present Study 10.3 Contributions of the Current Study 10.4 Suggestion for Future Studies 10.5 Conclusion REFERENCES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DEDICATION