ABSTRACT
This chapter first introduces the research background of the present study by tracing the origin and development of the notion of “appraisal/evaluation”, stressing that the Appraisal Theory proposed by Martin et al. is a fruitful attempt to develop the interpersonal function in the lexical orientation on the level of discourse semantics. Therefore, the three systems in the theory, i.e. Attitude, Engagement, and Graduation, become the point of departure of the present study. Besides, this chapter reviews previous studies on the Appraisal Theory from four aspects, not only highlighting the great achievements made in research of Appraisal systems but also underlining the niche for present study. Then the purpose, the line of thought, and innovative properties of the study, followed by the outline of the book structure, are presented.
