摘要：In this paper,I propose a reflection on the capacity of a French extrapredicative nominal construction (construction détachée) to construct a discourse frame,with a case study based on a corpus of journalistic portraits. The study pursues a twofold objective. First,the aim is to show that in this construction,a nominal predicate can function as a temporal circonstant and thereby can extend its scope beyond the main clause. Secondly,given that usually the nominal predicate in this construction is assigned a descriptive value,I will endeavour to show what determines the ability of the structure to form “descriptive blocks”.
