diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanAttributeQuery.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanAttributeQuery.java
index c752776..150f060 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanAttributeQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanAttributeQuery.java
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@
 	public String toString(String field) {
 		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
 		sb.append("spanAttribute(");
-		sb.append(firstClause.toString(field));
-		sb.append(",");
-		sb.append(isNegation ? "negated)" : "notNegated)");		
+		sb.append(firstClause.toString(field));		
+		if (isNegation)
+			sb.append( ", not");		
+		sb.append(")");
 		sb.append(ToStringUtils.boost(getBoost()));
 		return sb.toString();
 	}
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanExpansionQuery.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanExpansionQuery.java
index cab5683..654cb52 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanExpansionQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanExpansionQuery.java
@@ -10,49 +10,95 @@
 import org.apache.lucene.search.spans.Spans;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.Bits;
 
+import de.ids_mannheim.korap.query.spans.ExpandedExclusionSpans;
 import de.ids_mannheim.korap.query.spans.ExpandedSpans;
 
-/** Query to make a span longer by stretching out the start or 
- * 	the end position of the span.
+/** Query to make a span longer by stretching out the start or the end 
+ * 	position of the span. The constraints of the expansion, such as how 
+ * 	large the expansion should be (min and max position) and the 
+ * 	direction of the expansion with respect to the "main" span, are 
+ * 	specified in ExpansionConstraint.
+ * 
+ * 	The expansion can be specified to not contain any direct/immediate
+ * 	/adjacent occurrence(s) of another span. Examples:
+ * 		[orth=der][orth!=Baum] 		"der" cannot be followed by "Baum" 
+ * 		[pos!=ADJ]{1,2}[orth=Baum]	one or two adjectives cannot precedes 
+ * 									"Baum"
+ * 
+ *  The offsets of the expansion parts can be collected by using a class 
+ *  number. 
  * 
  * 	@author margaretha
  * */
 public class SpanExpansionQuery extends SimpleSpanQuery{
-
-	int min, max; 
-	byte classNumber;
-	boolean isBefore;
+	 
+	private int min, max; // min, max expansion position
 	
-	public SpanExpansionQuery(SpanQuery firstClause, int min, int max,  
-			boolean isBefore, boolean collectPayloads) {		
+	// if > 0, collect expansion offsets using this label
+	private byte classNumber;
+	
+	// expansion direction with regard to the main span: 
+	// < 0 	to the left of main span 
+	// >= 0  to the right of main span
+	private int direction;	
+	
+	// if true, no occurrence of another span
+	final boolean isExclusion; 
+	
+	/** Simple expansion for any/empty token. Use 
+	 * 	{@link #SpanExpansionQuery(SpanQuery, SpanQuery, ExpansionConstraint, 
+	 * 	boolean)} for expansion with exclusions of a specific spanquery. 
+	 * */
+	public SpanExpansionQuery(SpanQuery firstClause, int min, int max, int direction, 
+			boolean collectPayloads) {
 		super(firstClause, collectPayloads);
 		this.min = min;
 		this.max = max;
-		this.isBefore = isBefore;
+		this.direction = direction;
+		this.isExclusion = false;
 	}
 	
-	public SpanExpansionQuery(SpanQuery firstClause, int min, int max, 
-			byte classNumber, boolean isBefore, boolean collectPayloads) {		
-		this(firstClause, min,max,isBefore,collectPayloads);
+	public SpanExpansionQuery(SpanQuery firstClause, int min, int max, int direction, 
+			byte classNumber, boolean collectPayloads) {
+		this(firstClause, min, max, direction, collectPayloads);		
 		this.classNumber = classNumber;
 	}
-
+	
+	/** Expansion with exclusions of the spanquery specified as the second 
+	 * 	parameter.
+	 * */
+	public SpanExpansionQuery(SpanQuery firstClause, SpanQuery notClause, int min, 
+			int max, int direction, boolean collectPayloads) {
+		super(firstClause, notClause, collectPayloads);
+		this.min = min;
+		this.max = max;
+		this.direction = direction;
+		this.isExclusion = true;
+	}
+		
+	
 	@Override
 	public SimpleSpanQuery clone() {
-		SpanExpansionQuery sq = new SpanExpansionQuery(
-				firstClause, 
-				min, 
-				max, 
-				isBefore,
-				collectPayloads);
+		SpanExpansionQuery sq = null;
+		if (isExclusion){
+			sq = new SpanExpansionQuery(firstClause, secondClause, min, max, 
+					direction, collectPayloads);
+		}
+		else{
+			sq = new SpanExpansionQuery(firstClause, min, max, direction, classNumber,
+					collectPayloads);
+		}
 		//sq.setBoost(sq.getBoost());
 		return sq;
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public Spans getSpans(AtomicReaderContext context, Bits acceptDocs,
-			Map<Term, TermContext> termContexts) throws IOException {
-		return new ExpandedSpans(this, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);
+			Map<Term, TermContext> termContexts) throws IOException {		 
+		if (isExclusion)
+			return new ExpandedExclusionSpans(this, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);		
+		else
+			return new ExpandedSpans(this, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -60,14 +106,26 @@
 		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
 		sb.append("spanExpansion(");
 		sb.append(firstClause.toString());
-		sb.append(",[");
+		if (isExclusion && secondClause != null){
+			sb.append(", !");
+			sb.append(secondClause.toString());
+		}
+		else{
+			sb.append(", []");
+		}
+		sb.append("{");
 		sb.append(min);
-		sb.append(",");
+		sb.append(", ");
 		sb.append(max);
-		sb.append("],");		
-		if (isBefore)
-			sb.append("left)");
-		else sb.append("right)");
+		sb.append("}, ");		
+		if (direction < 0)
+			sb.append("left");
+		else sb.append("right");
+		if (classNumber > 0){
+			sb.append(", class:");
+			sb.append(classNumber);			
+		}
+		sb.append(")");
 		return sb.toString();
 	}
 
@@ -87,14 +145,6 @@
 		this.max = max;
 	}
 
-	public boolean isBefore() {
-		return isBefore;
-	}
-
-	public void setBefore(boolean isBefore) {
-		this.isBefore = isBefore;
-	}
-
 	public byte getClassNumber() {
 		return classNumber;
 	}
@@ -102,4 +152,12 @@
 	public void setClassNumber(byte classNumber) {
 		this.classNumber = classNumber;
 	}
+
+	public int getDirection() {
+		return direction;
+	}
+
+	public void setDirection(int direction) {
+		this.direction = direction;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanRepetitionQuery.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanRepetitionQuery.java
index 97ecd0a..94b273b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanRepetitionQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/SpanRepetitionQuery.java
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@
 	@Override
 	public String toString(String field) {
 		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();		
-		sb.append("spanQuantifier(");
+		sb.append("spanRepetition(");
 		sb.append(firstClause.toString(field));
-		sb.append("[");
+		sb.append("{");
 		sb.append(min);
-		sb.append(":");
+		sb.append(",");
 		sb.append(max);
-		sb.append("])");
+		sb.append("})");
 		sb.append(ToStringUtils.boost(getBoost()));
 		return sb.toString();
 	}
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java
index 9a1c13b..a378e1a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementAttributeSpans.java
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@
 	 * */
 	private boolean checkNotElementRef() throws IOException{
 		for (AttributeSpans notAttribute: notAttributeList){
-			if (elements.start() == notAttribute.start() &&
+			if (!notAttribute.isFinish() && 
+					elements.start() == notAttribute.start() &&
 					elements.getElementRef() == notAttribute.getElementRef()){
 			        if (DEBUG)
 				    logger.info("not attribute ref exists");
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ExpandedSpans.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ExpandedSpans.java
index 2f8ebed..68ae7f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ExpandedSpans.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ExpandedSpans.java
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 	
 	private int min, max;
 	private byte classNumber;
-	private boolean isBefore;	
+	private int direction;	
 	private List<CandidateSpan> candidateSpans;
 	private long matchCost;
 	
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 		super(spanExpansionQuery, context, acceptDocs, termContexts);
 		this.min = spanExpansionQuery.getMin();
 		this.max = spanExpansionQuery.getMax();
+		this.direction = spanExpansionQuery.getDirection();
 		this.classNumber = spanExpansionQuery.getClassNumber();
-		this.isBefore = spanExpansionQuery.isBefore();
 		
 		candidateSpans = new ArrayList<CandidateSpan>();		
 		hasMoreSpans = true;		
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 		CandidateSpan cs;
 		int counter, start, end;
 		
-		if (isBefore){
+		if (direction < 0 ){
 			counter = max;
 			while (counter >= min ){
 				start =  Math.max(0,firstSpans.start() - counter);