This paper presents this algorithm, gives demonstrations of an implemented system, and describes the results of some preliminary empirical studies, which lend support to the algorithm

Abstract not found

Abstract not found

This paper proposes a new framework for representing the semantics of discourse relations: they are taken to be descriptions of the operation of an algorithm being carried out by an agent interacting with the world. The algorithm interleaves perception, action and theorem proving; it is the kind of algorithm, in fact, which must be assumed to underlie the behaviour of any agent. Discourse relations, and the text units which they comprise, are to be thought of as describing stages (or sequences of stages) in this algorithm. The agent executing the algorithm can be the protagonist in a narrative discourse, or one of the conversational participants in a dialogue. We suggest a number of advantages that emerge from thinking about the semantics of discourse relations in these terms.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements

In this paper I describe a discourse grammar which is based on a further development of a Tree Adjoining Grammar (TAG). Adding features and the restriction that a newly processed sentence can only be added on the right frontier of the discourse tree, I follow Gardent's description of a Tree Insertion Grammar (TIG). I extend this formalism with respect to world and contextual knowledge, using a non-monotonic reasoning system similar to Lascarides and Asher (1993). The rhetorical relations are represented by a constrained sort hierarchy which allows a precise definition of the semantics--pragmatics interface for discourse processing. Moreover, the attachment to an already processed discourse can be explained by the restriction of the discourse tree. Keywords: Discourse Grammar, Semantics--Pragmatics Interface, non-monotonic reasoning, Feature--based Tree Adjoining Grammar (FTAG) 1 Introduction Recent developments of discourse grammars can be roughly divided into two traditions: Treatme...

This paper gives an analysis of the connective while and the way it functions in context, based on a study of a set of while-clauses in two different text types. I propose to view while as one connective with a basic meaning and a number of different surface realizations. I show that different interpretations of while are subject to constraints coming from different directions, and that in determining how a particular interpretation arises, attributes of the sentence as well as its context need to be taken into account. In the proposed approach, syntactic structure, semantic meaning and discourse function are closely intertwined. 1 Introduction There has been a growing awareness in recent years that a full account of the properties and functioning of linguistic constructions cannot ignore the role of the type of context they occur in. Oversteegen (1994, 1995), for instance, demonstrates the influence of contextual properties on the interpretation of Dutch temporal and contras...

This paper deals with the way temporal connectives affect Temporal Structure as well as Discourse Structure in Narratives.

Automatic techniques to analyze connectives 1 Running head: Automatic techniques to analyze connectives Towards automatic determination of the semantics of connectives in large newspaper corpora