English Time Semantic Category Research From Cognitive Perspective

Time semantic category is an important study field in linguistics. It has aroused much attention in modern linguistics.Time semantic category is represented by different means on each linguistic layer. Because different language has their own structure and cognitive patterns, they lay their own particular emphases in their languages. This thesis bases on cognitive linguistics and functional linguistics, according the route of theory to the practice, adopting the method from significance to form. The author has collected massive illustrative sentences, conducted a thorough research on English time semantic category. Thus, it enabled us to have a more comprehensive understanding to English time semantic category.For this purpose, the author illuminates significances of time semantic category research firstly. The study of time semantic category in cognitive way can be an effective method to eliminate English learners' puzzle in English synonym in time category and help them to use these synonyms better. It can help us cognize time, apperceive time and study the phenomenon of time better. There is plenty of room for the cooperation of cognitive linguistics and functional linguistics theory, they can supplement and complement each other.Then the author elaborates cognitive linguistics and functional linguistics theory, their complementarities and time in different fields. The present thesis has employed Evans' time semantic category and Gale's time system. So we reviewed and summarized the condition of English time semantic category research, elaborated their theories. Basing on their research, the author expands English time semantic category. Chapter four is the core of this thesis. It is the analysis of English time semantic category in cognitive linguistics. In this part, the author studies English time semantic category from cognitive angle and connects with lots of examples. The author elaborates three aspects in this part. 1. Temporal cognitive style in English. 2. Fundamental cognitive models of time. 3. Evans and Green's cognitive models of time. In chapter five the author provides some pedagogical implications for English teachers and learners from cognitive perspective.At last, the author concludes the whole thesis and hopes the present study may provide a new perspective for future study about time.