<p>Corpus information.</p>

This study presents a pedagogically motivated inquiry into the cross-cultural rhetorical patterns of academic writing, focusing on the use of general nouns (GNs). The research was initiated in response to persistent difficulties observed among advanced L2 writers, who struggle to use GNs with appropriate nuance to establish an authoritative stance. Employing a corpus-driven methodology, the study analyzes two purpose-built corpora: the Chinese Academic Written English Corpus (CAWEC) and the Inner-Circle Affiliated Written English Corpus (ICAWEC). The findings reveal divergent rhetorical tendencies. Writers in the CAWEC show a statistically significant preference for “Research-group” (e.g., study, research) and “Result-group” nouns (e.g., difference, results). Their collocational patterns, marked by temporality (current study) and subjectivity (our study), are consistent with a conceptual metaphor of ACADEMIC PROGRESS IS A JOURNEY. In contrast, writers in the ICAWEC use “Example-group” (e.g., case, fact) and certain “Discussion-group” nouns (e.g., argument) more frequently, dominated by objectifying collocations (the study). These patterns suggest a spatialized argumentative strategy consistent with a conceptual metaphor of THE STUDY IS A KNOWLEDGE CONTAINER. By making these frameworks explicit, the study proposes a pedagogical model to expand L2 learners’ rhetorical repertoires and metacognitive awareness, equipping them to navigate Anglophone academic discourse.本研究出于教学动因，针对学术写作的跨文化修辞模式展开探究，重点关注通用名词（general nouns, GNs）的使用情况。 本研究的发起源于观察到进阶第二语言（Second Language, L2）学习者长期面临使用困境：他们难以恰当拿捏通用名词的语义细微差别，以树立权威的学术立场。 本研究采用语料库驱动的研究方法，对两个自建语料库展开分析：中国学术英语书面语语料库（Chinese Academic Written English Corpus, CAWEC）与内圈附属学术英语书面语语料库（Inner-Circle Affiliated Written English Corpus, ICAWEC）。 研究结果揭示了迥异的修辞倾向。中国学术英语书面语语料库的使用者在统计层面显著更偏好使用“研究组通用名词”（Research-group，例如study、research）与“结果组通用名词”（Result-group，例如difference、results）。其搭配模式以时态性（如current study）与主观性（如our study）为显著特征，契合“学术进步即旅程”（ACADEMIC PROGRESS IS A JOURNEY）的概念隐喻框架。 与之形成鲜明对照的是，内圈附属学术英语书面语语料库的使用者更频繁地使用“例证组通用名词”（Example-group，例如case、fact）与特定“讨论组通用名词”（Discussion-group，例如argument），其搭配模式以客观化表达（如the study）为主导。上述模式体现出一种空间化论证策略，契合“研究即知识容器”（THE STUDY IS A KNOWLEDGE CONTAINER）的概念隐喻框架。 本研究通过明确上述隐喻框架，提出一套教学模型，旨在拓展第二语言学习者的修辞储备与元认知意识，助力他们更好地适配英语学术话语语境。