本书是厦门大学英汉语言文化博士文库中的一本。该书尝试对结构式的演化进行语法化的推测与假设。同时，还尝试将认知语言学和语用学所关注的传信义和认识义区分开来。

本书选题新颖，逻辑清晰，具有较强的学科前沿性和较高的理论价值。

Introduction/1

 0.1 The term FPEP/1

 0.2 Problems and aims/2

 0.3 Assumptions and methods/7

 0.4 Evidence and conventions/10

 0.5 Summary and outline of this book/16

Chapter 1 The Theoretical Framework/20

 1.1 Introduction/20

 1.2 Meaning and grammar/20

 1.3 Mechanisms of historical change/36

 1.4 Grammatiealization and diachronie comparison/48

 1.5 Summary/58

Chapter 2 Prior and Current Work on FPEPs and Grammaticalization/60

 2.1 Introduction/60

 2.2 Studies on grammaticalization/60

 2.3 Backgrounds of the study on FPEPs/64

 2.4 Major contemporary issues/87

 2.5 Summary/94

Chapter 3 The Development of FP + MSV Epistemic Parentheticals/96

 3.1 Introduction/96

 3.2 FP + MSV epistemie parentheticals in PDE & MdMand/97

 3.3 The development of FP + MSV EPs in English/105

 3.4 The development of FP + MSV EPs in Chinese/116

 3.5 Summary/125

Chapter 4 The Development of FP + SAV Epistemic Parentheticals/127

 4.1 Introduction/127

 4.2 Speech act verbs and performative verbs/128

 4.3 FP + SAV epistemic parentheticals in PDE & MdMand/132

 4.4 The development of FP + SAV EPs in English/139

 4.5 The development of FP + SAV EPs in Chinese/151

 4.6 Summary/160

Chapter 5 The Development of FP + SPV Epistemic Parentheticals/162

 5.1 Introduction/162

 5.2 FP + SPV epistemic parentheticals in PDE & MdMand/163

 5.3 The development of FP + SPV EPs in English/168

 5.4 The development of FP + SAV EPs in Chinese/178

 5.5 Summary/185

Chapter 6 Comparison: Diaehronie Universals and Diaehronie Typology/187

 6.1 Introduction/187

 6.2 Diachronic comparison : granmaaticalization of FPEPs/187

 6.3 Synchronic comparison: FPEPs in the two languages and three sources/199

 6.4 Diachronic universals and diachronic typology/210

 6.5 Summary/220

Conclusion/222

Appendices/230

Bibliography/235

Acknowledgements/249