TABLE 3.

Grouping codes into themes.

Coded recall comments	Codes (C#)	Themes (T#)
I wanted to be more vivid. I just wanted to stress again that our desire, the importance of controlling that kind of desire. Because what I wanted to say was that desire was like a dreadful monster.	C1: Compare one abstract concept to a more concrete one to achieve vividness C2: Compare one abstract concept to a more concrete one by looking for similarities C3: Desire to persuade through metaphorical constructions	T1: Metaphoric thinking (Littlemore and Low, 2006a) T2: Communicative functions of metaphor in academic writing (Goatly, 2011; Herrmann, 2013)
What I was thinking at that moment is that, first, the topic is economy and spending, and then I came up with the same Chinese expression that I learned in senior high school so I translate the ‘马车’ into ‘carriages.’ The three carriages are equal to the driving power of economic development […]	C4: Use the first language as a base for understanding or producing the second language (O’Malley and Chamot, 1990, p. 120)	T3: L1 Influence (Ellis, 1999; Nacey, 2013)
I wanted to echo the earlier expression “three carriages,” so I wrote “powerful driving force,” which means the drive that can lead to economic development.	C5: Desire to make the writing coherent	T2: Communicative functions of metaphor in academic writing (Goatly, 2011; Herrmann, 2013)
It was, when I was using English to express myself, I worried that the readership might not understand my intended meaning. Maybe there was some of my own subjective understanding in it.	C6: Struggling to express meaning	T4: Limited L2 knowledge and desire for a better writing performance in L2 (Hinkel, 2002; MacArthur, 2010)
I just wanted to mean that love is a strength that can move things forward, just like the function of petrol to a car and the batteries in a player. The strength was dominating because it could make you alive and give you energy, and make you operate and work.	C2: Compare one abstract concept to a more concrete one by looking for similarities C3: Desire to persuade through metaphorical constructions	T1: Metaphoric thinking (Littlemore and Low, 2006a) T2: Communicative functions of metaphor in academic writing (Goatly, 2011; Herrmann, 2013)
Here I just want to make it clear that love is positive. It is normal and common, with no negative side. […] Love is sweet. When thinking about sweety, it is easy for me to link with desserts.	C2: Compare one abstract concept to a more concrete one by looking for similarities C3: Desire to persuade through metaphorical constructions	T1: Metaphoric thinking (Littlemore and Low, 2006a) T2: Communicative functions of metaphor in academic writing (Goatly, 2011; Herrmann, 2013)