Based on the semantic meanings and linquistic functions the negation can be divided into four classes. Discussion is made with examples on the negation position and syntax in sentences.

Negation in English

Nous comparons deux constructions elliptiques asymetriques en francais : d'une part, les constructions trouees (gapping) ou la phrase incomplete est en seconde position et ou manque (au moins) la tete verbale ; d'autre part, les mises en facteur droites (right node raising) ou la phrase (ou une autre categorie) incomplete est en premiere position et ou manque une expression linguistique quelconque (argument, modifieur et/ou tete). Les constructions trouees sont les plus contraintes. Du point de vue syntaxique d'abord, la phrase elliptique doit compter au moins deux elements residuels, qui doivent correspondre a des arguments ou des ajouts possibles du (ou des) predicat(s) manquant(s). Sur le plan semantique, par ailleurs, chaque element residuel doit entrer en relation de contraste avec un element parallele dans la phrase complete. Enfin, on doit avoir sur le plan discursif une relation symetrique (parallelisme ou contraste) entre les phrases reliees. Les mises en facteur droite ne presentent clairement pas les memes proprietes. Elles n'obeissent a aucune contrainte de parallelisme syntaxique ou discursif, ce qui explique qu'elles soient possibles non seulement dans les coordinations (et pas necessairement les coordinations de phrases) mais aussi dans des subordonnees de types varies. Par ailleurs, elles peuvent, sur le plan semantique, ne comporter qu'une seule paire d'elements en relation de contraste. Il faut conclure que les deux tours ne peuvent pas etre analyses comme des variantes d'un seul et meme mecanisme d'ellipse (par exemple l'effacement), comme on a pu le proposer recemment (Hartmann 2000, Fery & Hartmann 2005). Les mises en facteur a droite se pretent bien a une analyse par reconstruction syntaxique (et non pas seulement semantique), ce qui n'implique pas necessairement le recours a des categories vides. Les constructions trouees appellent une analyse plus elaboree a l'interface syntaxe-semantique-pragmatique.

Quelques contraintes sur les coordinations elliptiques en français

We contrast two types of sentences with a preposed NP in French in a construction based HPSG grammar. They differ with respect to different grammatical aspects (syntax, semantics, pragmatics and phonology), which cluster uniquely into constructions. Both are colloquial, a reason why they have been recognized only recently (see Zribi-Hertz 1986, 1996, Sabio 1995, 2006). Accordingly, we rely for the data on spoken corpora (Corpaix, CFRP) as well as on our intuitions. Both constructions involve a partitioned semantics but this mode of composition is associated with different effects. One construction is characterized semantically: the preposed NP is the theme of a categorical proposition. The other construction is characterized pragmatically: it is associated with an independent declarative clause, a typical use of which is to signal a break in the interaction.

Two types of NP preposing in French

We present a review of the French Treebank (FTB) (1996-2016), a lexical and syntactic resource with rich annotation and manual validation, which is usable by linguists and for NLP and has about 300 users in the world. We summarize the building principles and the main annotation choices, and describe the final version, the different formats and a first evaluation. We also present some derived resources and some query examples. MOTS-CLÉS : corpus arboré, français, syntaxe.

Un corpus annoté pour le français : le French Treebank

This paper analyzed N_1 + V_1 + N_2 + V_2 construction, described its semantic features, syntactic function and semantic structure and discussed that the length of serial verb construction was constrained by semantic role and syntactic relay of nominal constituent.

On serial verb construction

This paper focuses on a specific type of verbless utterance, labeled PVU, which is defined by two properties: • PVUs are not discourse fragments. • PVUs can host a phrase in their right periphery which is coreferential with their external argument. This phrase is labeled α-phrase. PVUs are analyzed as clausal predicative phrases. Although PVUs can have various illocutionary forces, their content type is constrained by their syntactic form. As for α-phrases, they are shown to be right-dislocated phrases. Right-dislocation is analyzed as a local anaphoric phenomenon. This approach is consistent with the anaphoric properties of PVUs’ external arguments.

French Predicative Verbless Utterances

French and Romanian verbless relative adjuncts are incidental adjuncts which have been described as elliptical relative clauses. We show that this analysis is not empirically adequate and propose an alternative non-elliptical analysis. We analyze verbless relative adjuncts as sentential fragments whose head can be a cluster of phrases. They are marked by a functor phrase which displays selection properties with respect to the head phrase and makes an essential contribution to the semantics of the adjunct. The analysis relies on the interaction of grammatical constraints introduced by various linguistic objects, as well as on a constructional analysis of verbless relative adjuncts distinguishing several subtypes.

http://web.stanford.edu/group/cslipublications/cslipublications/HPSG/2009/bilbiie-laurens.pdf

A Construction-based Analysis of Verbless Relative Adjuncts in French and Romanian

Experiments are the primary source of data for Intonational Phonology. If there is consensus on the reliability of elicited data through experiments for detailed phonetic analysis, there is more concern when it comes to Semantics or Pragmatics. Recently, Ito & Speer 2006 have stressed the fact that there are differences in the occurring of prosodic patterns across scripted vs. non-scripted speech, and across speech elicited in the lab vs. free speech in everyday situations. This paper addresses the methodological issue of whether elicited speech in the lab provides valid evidence for the study of the meaning and the usage of intonational categories.

Frédéric Laurens

Papers

French Predicative Verbless Utterances

A Construction-based Analysis of Verbless Relative Adjuncts in French and Romanian

The Used and the Possible. The Use of elicited Conversations in the study of Prosody