DISCOURS ET COHÉRENCE: TOPIQUE, ARRIÈRE-PLAN, CHRONOLOGIE
DISCOURSE AND COHERENCE: TOPIC, BACKGROUND, CHRONOLOGY

Summary/Abstract: This study proposes an extension of Asher/Lascarides’ SDRT (Segmented discourse representation theory) framework in order to enlarge upon the discourse coherence. After a short presentation of the SDRT and of the representation it proposes for the implicit meanings (presuppositions), the author introduces the task of three elements in the making-up of a coherent discourse: (i) transphrastic adverbials (temporal and place), which are part of the Background; (ii) the topic (unity ofplace, time, and the continuity of ‘characters’, i.e. thematic relations – Agent, Experiencer, Theme, Instrument, etc.); (iii) the implicit information from the qualia structure (Pustejovsky 1995), which explains that the sequence the drunk man came into the bar; the barman threw him out is coherent, while, the drunk man came into the office; the barman threw him out is not. An ending example synthesizes and illustrates the results of this research.

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