Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Motivation and Significance 1.2 Scope and Objective 1.3 Methodology and Data 1.4 Layout Chapter Two Comments on the Previous Studies Home and Abroad 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Previous Studies on the English PC 2.2.1 Traditional Grammar Approach 2.2.2 Transformational-Generative Grammar Approach 2.2.3 Systemic Functional Grammar Approach 2.2.4 Cognitive Linguistics Approach 2.2.4.1 Cognitive Grammar Perspective 2.2.4.2 Aspectual Coercion Perspective 2.2.4.3 Conceptual Blending Perspective 2.3 Limitations of the Previous Studies 2.3.1 Theoretical Limitations 2.3.2 Methodological Limitations 2.4 Summary Chapter Three Theoretical Framework 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Theoretical Framework: MCI+ 3.2.1 Theoretical Basis 3.2.1.1 Construction Coercion Views and Their Limits 3.2.1.2 Lexical Coercion for the Limits of Construction Coercion 3.2.1.3 Goldberg's Construction Inheritance and Its Limits 3.2.2 MCI+for the Gaps: The Establishment of MCI+ 3.2.2.1 Rationale for Establishing MCI+ 3.2.2.2 Mechanism of MCI+ 3.2.2.3 Research Domain of MCI+ 3.3 The Explanatory Power of MCI+ 3.3.1 MCI+for the Interaction Between Lexical Items and Construction 3.3.2 MCI+for the Interaction Among Constructions 3.3.3 MCI+for the Interaction Among Lexical Items 3.4 Summary Chapter Four Data Analysis and Discussion 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Data Description of PC 4.2.1 Data Collection and Delimitation 4.2.2 Verb Classification and Distribution in PC 4.2.2.1 Previous Researches on Verb Classification and Their Limits 4.2.2.2 The Author's Classification for the Gap and Verbs Distribution in PC 4.2.3 Adverbial Classification and Distribution in PC 4.2.4 Time Adverbials' Distribution in PC 4.3 The Application of MCI+for the Analysis of PC 4.3.1 Analysis of Syntactic Features 4.3.1.1 The Procedural Construction Network of PC 4.3.1.2 Syntactic Features of Each Element in the Procedural Construction Network 4.3.2 Analysis of Semantic Features 4.3.2.1 Construction Polysemy and the Primary Sense of PC 4.3.2.2 An MCI+ Analysis of PC and Verbs 4.3.2.3 An MCI+ Analysis of PC and TA 4.3.2.4 An MCI+ Analysis of PeC, PrC and PC 4.3.3 Analysis of Pragmatic Features 4.3.3.1 Time Deixis of PC 4.3.3.2 Rhetoric Functions of PC 4.3.3.3 Subjective Interpretation of PC 4.4 Summary Chapter Five Conclusion 5.1 Significance and Contributions 5.2 Limitations and Suggestions References Appendix A.Verb Classification and Distribution in PC Appendix B.Adverbial Classification and Distribution in PC