ABSTRACT

Idiom is an inseparable part in English, and it is the essence of English. Generally speaking, English idioms include proverbs, slangs, colloquial, twin words and so on. The study on English idioms can help us have a deeper understanding of western cultural connotations, including its history, customs, religious belief and so on.  

The purpose of this study is to find out the structural and semantic features and functions of English idioms through analyzing a lot of English idioms. Generally speaking, the three prominent features of English idioms are structural fixity, irreplaceability and semantic unity. At the same time, various figures of speech are used in idioms, which adds color and vividness to them. English idioms possess unique syntactic features and communicative functions.

Language is closely related to culture. The study on English idioms can help us further know about western cultures. Besides, it can help language learners raise awareness of intercultural communication and master the differences between Chinese and western cultures, which makes the learners understand and use idioms in communication.

Key Words: idioms; grammatical structure; semantic features; figure of speech; cultural connotations

CONTENTS

摘要

ABSTRACT

Chapter One: Introduction-1

 1.1 The Background of the Research-1

 1.2 The Purpose and Significance of the Research-1

 1.3 The Structure of the Research-2

Chapter Two Literature Review-3

 2.1 Definitions of English Idioms-3

 2.2 Categories of English Idioms-4

 2.3 Functions of English Idioms-5

Chapter Three: The Features of English Idioms-7

 3.1 Classifications of English Idioms-7

  3.1.1 Phrase idioms begin with noun-7

  3.1.2 Phrase idioms begin with verb-7

  3.1.3 Phrase idioms begin with preposition-8

  3.1.4 Phrase idioms begin with adverb-8

  3.1.5 Phrase idioms begin with adjective-8

  3.1.6 Phrase idioms begin with conjunction-9

 3.2 Structural Features of English Idioms-9

 3.3 Semantic Features of English Idioms-10

 3.4 Figure of Speech of English Idioms-11

  3.4.1 Figurative idioms-11

  3.4.2 Metonymy in idioms-13

  3.4.3 Synecdoche in idioms-13

  3.3.4 Personification in idioms-14

  3.4.5 Allusion in idioms-14

  3.4.6 Euphemism idioms-15

  3.4.7 Repetition idioms-16

  3.4.8 Rhyme idioms-16

  3.4.9 Hyperbole-17

  3.4.10 Rhetorical question-17

Chapter Four: The Cultural Connotations of English Idioms-19

 4.1 Geographical Features-19

 4.2 History and Culture-19

 4.3 Customs-20

  4.3.1 Idioms and social customs-20

  4.3.2 Idioms and food customs-20

  4.3.3 Idioms and pets customs-20

 4.4 Values-21

  4.4.1 Idioms and moral standards-21

  4.4.2 Idioms and attitude about money-21

  4.4.3 Idioms and individualism-21

 4.5 Religious Belief-21

Chapter Five: Conclusion-23

 5.1 Main Findings of the Research-23

 5.2 Limitations and Suggestions-23

References-24

Acknowledgment-25