This paper deals with the exploration of genre-specific phraseology, more precisely, of “sequential patterns” expressing clichés. In our approach, a sequential pattern (or “motif”) is a specific and regular lexical and grammatical configuration. This unit is automatically detected; genre-specific motifs are calculated on the basis of two alternative methods (mutual information and calcul of specificities). The analysis is based on a large number of illustrations taken from a corpus of 150 contemporary novels: 50 “serious” novels, 50 crime novels and 50 sentimental novels. The study supports our initial hypothesis: sentimental novels are characterized by a high level of clichés, and these clichés are expressed through specific sequential patterns.
Here's a version of the abstract in English: