Highlighting and emphasis 2112 INITIAL POSITIONING
aPlacing an element other than the grammatical subject at the beginning of a sentence serves to
give that element extra emphasis. Thus the list of Jeanne’s most striking attributes: Un visage
d’ange... (text 2, line 5) takes precedence over the statement that Jeanne d’Arc est d’abord une
image (text 2, lines 7–8).b The element highlighted by being placed in initial position may be repeated, where necessary,
in the form of a pronoun at a later point in the sentence. For example, the direct object, mon
amie, which is emphasized by initial positioning in mon amie, je l’admire parce que... (text 1,
lines 25–6), is repeated in the form of the object pronoun l’. This is sometimes called a reprise
construction and is particularly common in the spoken language.
c Adverbs and adverbial phrases are often given extra emphasis by being placed either at the
beginning of a sentence, e.g. Bien sûr (text 1, line 43), En 1889 déjà (text 2, lines 15–16), or
before the subject of a subordinate clause.
e.g. avant que, dès ses débuts, le cinéma ne s’en empare(text 2, lines 14–15).
d Adjectives, adjectival phrases, and participles used adjectivally are also often given extra
emphasis by being placed at the beginning of a sentence, e.g. Redécouvert au XVIIIe siècle par
Voltaire, le destin... (text 2, lines 1–2) instead of ‘Le destin de Jeanne d’Arc, redécouvert au
XVIIIe siècle.. .’ Adjectives placed in this position will still need to agree with their subject.
e.g. Seules les couleurs (text 2, line 39).
e Adjectives which would normally be expected to follow a noun may be emphasized by being
placed first, e.g. l’innocente victime (text 2, lines 52–3). This is particularly the case when a
value judgement is being expressed.
f The initially positioned pronoun Moi (text 1, lines 2, 9) is probably best interpreted as
shorthand for Pour moi... which thus becomes the focal element of the sentence. If it had
been placed at the end of the sentence, as in La beauté compte très peu pour moi, the subject la
beauté would have been highlighted instead.
3 FRAMING / INTRODUCTORY DEVICES
aThe framing device c’est... qui/que is very frequently used in spoken and written French to
highlight a particular element, e.g. the direct object l’image in C’est l’image que... un
greffier... avait dessinée (text 2, lines 8–10). This device may also be used in the negative, e.g.
to highlight the subject la beauté in ce n’est pas la beauté qui compte (text 1, lines 33–4). Note
also the plural form, ce sont... qui/que, e.g. Ce sont mes parents qui m’aident le plus.b The relative pronouns ce qui/ce que/ce dont/ce + preposition + quoi (see Chapter 11),
followed by c’est... are frequently used in the spoken and written language to introduce the
focal element of a sentence, e.g. Ce qui me passionne aussi, c’est de partager mes joies (text 1,
lines 14–16); ce qui fait la force du mythe, c’est aussi son enracinement dans le sol (text 2,
lines 41–2). These pronouns translate into English as ‘What (= the thing which).. .’