Abstract: Reformulation is a common phenomenon in verbal communication. Immediately after speakers (or writers) provide certain information in on way， they go on to put it in another. As one type of discourse strategy， reformulation is used primarily to activate hearers (or readers) to supply more or specific contextual assumptions， thus facilitating their understanding of what is intended to be communicated. Reformulation is pragmatically rhetorical due to its communication of additional effects and its pursuit of optimal relevance. In addition， the frequently used reformulation markers， which signal the interpretive resemblance between the reformulated and the reformulating utterances， can guide hearers (or readers) in search of relevance， thus reducing the effort required to understand the utterances involved.

Key words: reformulation, reformulation marker, rhetoric