Clause-combining and the sequencing of actions: projector constructions in French conversation

This paper extends recent discussions on projector constructions to another language (French), and to a further set of linguistic formats. I propose a reanalysis, in the light of the sequential organization of actions, of the je veux dire ‘I want to say’+ complement clause pattern, the il y a ‘there is’ presentational cleft and the pseudocleft construction. I first identify a recurrent constructional schema consisting of an initial ‘fragment’ (je veux dire, il y a NP or ce qui/ce que x) followed by a syntactically independent stretch of talk. I then show that these fragments routinely accomplish a specific social action, namely projecting upcoming talk. By means of these projector constructions, speakers recipient-design their turns, helping recipients to monitor through the complex architecture of talk. I conclude by discussing implications regarding the on-line character of grammar.