針對綜合型通史式中國文學史撰述體例上的一般做法提出駁議。認為首先應該強化文體意識，加強文體的體裁、語體和風格三層面在文學史中的結構性地位，這是保持文學史的「文學性」的客觀基礎。其次，在確立歷時文體學的前提下，文學史撰述體例中的分期標準、評判文體價值的原則、「綜合型」與「通史式」的兼顧等問題才能得到妥當處理。

This article criticizes the received approach for laying out Chinese literary history into a comprehensive, chronological pattern. The author proposes that the objective foundation by which to keep literary history “literary” is to emphasize stylistic consciousness and the three stylistic levels-genre, tenor, and style-that are of structural significance in literary history. Only once a diachronic stylistics is established can issues such as criteria for classifying different periods, standards for stylistic evaluation, and joint consideration of comprehensiveness and chronology be treated appropriately.