Research

My scientific interest is mainly in (non-formal) semantics and pragmatics. Most of my research relates to the verb phrase (tense, aspect, modals) in English, with a particular concern for the semantics-pragmatics divide.

A volume of papers Semantics and pragmatics. Drawing a line, which I co-edited with Raf Salkie, was published in 2017 (Springer). The (ANR-FNS funded) REM (Rethinking English Modal constructions) project (2017-2021) critically assessed different quantitative methods that can lay bare the speaker's choice of modals and positions itself with respect to qualitative questions as to what is pragmatic/semantic about modal meaning. The end of project co-authored book, Modals of modals. From pragmatics and corpus linguistics to machine learning (Mouton de Gruyter), appeared in April 2023. I am currently working, with Benoît Leclercq (Paris 8), on the topic of saturation and free pragmatic enrichment.

I also take a keen interest in the teaching of English grammar. I published a grammar of English with Chad Langford (2012, Continuum); the second edition appeared in 2020 (Advanced English grammar. A linguistic approach, Bloomsbury).

In recent years, I have developed two new strands of research in the field of applied pragmatics. I have co-authored (with Sofie Decock and Nicolas Ruytenbeek) papers that analyse linguistic (in)directness and the perception of linguistic politeness in online complaints. 

Another recent research focus is a ‘3i Cross-Border Collaboration’ project examining how communication between healthcare practitioners and child patients could be advanced (Lille-UZGent-Kent-UZLeuven). I'm organizing, with Bert Cappelle, a workshop 'healthcare practitioner-child communication: a perspective from linguistics, philosophy and translation theory', at the University of Lille on April, 5th (2024), with presentations by the Lille-Kent-Gent-Leuven team, and by Bénédicte Lombart, Camilla Rindstedt, Lucy Bray and Demi Krystallidou. The programme, as well as a summary of the event, is available here: https://impact-2024.sciencesconf.org 

Summing up, my research interests are

  • pragmatic theory
  • facework theory
  • mood and modality in English
  • aspect and tense in English 
  • applied pragmatics: online complaints, healthcare practitioner-child communication
  • English grammar