Mixing representation levels: The hybrid approach to automatic text generation

Natural language generation systems (NLG) map non-linguistic representations into strings of words through a number of steps using intermediate representations of various levels of abstraction. Template based systems, by contrast, tend to use only one representation level, i.e. fixed strings, which are combined, possibly in a sophisticated way, to generate the final text. In some circumstances, it may be profitable to combine NLG and template based techniques. The issue of combining generation techniques can be seen in more abstract terms as the issue of mixing levels of representation of different degrees of linguistic abstraction. This paper aims at defining a reference architecture for systems using mixed representations. We argue that mixed representations can be used without abandoning a linguistically grounded approach to language generation.Comment: 6 page

Evidentiality and determination

This paper investigates the semantic properties of the French determiner quelque. It is shown that quelque conveys inferential evidentiality, that is, it selects interpretations in which the speaker infers the proposition conveyed by the sentence that hosts the determiner. This accounts for several other properties, for instance the fact that quelque is anti-specific and does not combine freely with negation. A notable consequence of the analysis is that the free choice and positive polarity behaviour of quelque are reduced to its basic semantics

Discourse and addition

Abstract The Italian negative particle neppure exhibits additive and scalar interpretations. We offer evidence for its characterisation as a particle specialised in adding negative information. Then, we show how the different interpretations follow from different ways of verifying the existential presupposition typical of additive particles. In particular, the order on the set of alternatives observed in the scalar reading is not an independent presupposition but the effect of controlling the increase in information obtained by accommodation rather than by verification. Proceedings ESSLLI 2005, Workshop Discourse Domains and Information Structure, p.47-56 Pure additive and scalar particles have been studied in relation to the inferences they trigger and the felicity constraints they impose on the context. Although several analyses of their functioning are available in the literature, the reasons for their existence are less frequently explored. Saebø (2004) offers a partial answer in claiming that obligatory occurrences of pure additive particles serve to accumulate topics while parallel information is added in a text. In this paper we consider the Italian negative particle neppure, that can be interpreted as pure additive (1) Non ha mangiato la mela e neppure la pera s/he didn't eat the apple, and neither the pear (2) Non ha mangiato neppure il caviale s/he didn't even eat caviar We will argue for the following two points. First, the accumulation of information is intentional and aims at constructing a class of homogeneous

When Small Is Many in the Event Domain

This paper pursues the idea that event-internal pluractional verbs are morphologically complex forms that describe non-canonical events and denote in the domain of events constituted by pluralities of phases [Tovena 2010b]. Non-canonicity is understood in comparative terms with respect to the description of the events provided by the corresponding simplex verb forms. The leading question is what is the source of the multiplicative meaning component in verb forms such as tagliuzzare and tossicchiare in Italian, and it is answered by arguing that it arises from the use of diminutive morphology specifically to build verb forms that describe modified events. Parallelisms with the nominal domain strengthen the case for a characterisation of the word formation process as involving diminutive morphology. It is also shown that the type of modification of an event description allowed by forming pluractional verbs is generally more complex that by simple adverbial or PP adjunction, as it involves at least two dimensions of the event. Furthermore, languages may use morphological distinctions to mark different binary oppositions within Cusic’s three level system.Dans cet article, nous développons l’idée que les verbes pluriactionnels à pluralité interne sont des formes morphologiquement complexes qui décrivent des événements non-canoniques et qui dénotent dans le domaine des événements constitués par des pluralités de phases [Tovena 2010b]. La non-canonicité se comprend en termes comparatifs par rapport à la description des événements fournie par les formes verbales simples correspondantes.Notre point de départ est la question de savoir quelle est la source de la composante de sens multiplicative que l’on retrouve dans des verbes tels que tagliuzzare et tossicchiare de l’italien. Notre réponse consiste à montrer qu’une telle multiplicité découle de l’emploi de la morphologie diminutive pour former des verbes qui décrivent des événements modifiés. Nous mettons au jour une forme de parallélisme entre le domaine nominal et le domaine verbal afin de renforcer notre hypothèse qu’il s’agit bien de morphologie diminutive. Nous montrons que la modification de l’événement obtenue par ce processus de formation de verbes (déverbaux ainsi que dénominaux) est toujours au moins double, alors qu’une modification par le truchement d’un adverbe ou d’un groupe prépositionnel ne concerne qu’une dimension à la fois

Nibbling is Not Many Bitings in Italian and French: A Morphosemantic Analysis of Event-Internal Plurality

n/

On ways of repeating

Cet article fait l’hypothèse que la répétition d’événement en langue naturelle est une manifestation de l’additivité dans le domaine ordonné des événements. La discussion d’un éventail d’adverbes appartenant à des langues différentes (parmi lesquels le français ‘encore’, l’anglais ‘again’ ou ‘zai’ du chinois mandarin), permet de montrer que, suivant cette hypothèse, il est possible de définir une classe sémantique d’adverbes de répétition qui recoupe en partie les distinctions traditionnelles d’adverbes itératifs et aspectuels. Les adverbes de répétition sont ainsi définis comme des opérateurs qui déclenchent une présupposition dont la caractérisation dépend d’un côté des propriétés structurelles du prédicat et, de l’autre, de la position de l’adverbe à l’interface syntaxique. Le contenu de la présupposition est calculé au moyen d’une équation conditionnelle d’ordre supérieur, une solution qui permet de rendre compte de la variation dans la sélection du matériel présupposé, ainsi que des différences qui dérivent du choix d’adopter une stratégie d’accommodation ou de vérification dans le contexte.The paper presents an analysis of event repetition as a manifestation of additivity in the ordered domain of events. A collection of iterative and aspectual adverbs belonging to different languages, such as English ‘again’, French ‘encore’ of Mandarin ‘zai’, can so receive a unified semantic analysis and be characterised as additive particles whose presupposition displays properties which are sensitive to the structural properties of the predicate, and which, in many cases, are predictable from the different syntactic positions where the adverbs occur. The content of the presupposition is computed via a conditional higher order equation. This solution makes room for two types of variation, i) in the heuristics a language may use for selecting material from the asserted clause, and ii) in the consequences of satisfying vs. accommodating a presupposition

Situations and Modality in Predicative Modal Superlatives

Predicative modal superlatives, such as Italian Luisa è stata il più calma possibile (‘Luisa was the most unperturbed possible’), state that the highest amount of calm that could be instantiated in the type of situation at hand, was associated with Luisa in the actual world. The semantic strategy proposed for tracking situations of the relevant type across worlds and varying individuals builds on the assumption that the modal adjective projects a predicate (Q) that captures specific circumstances affecting individuals that do not necessarily have a counterpart in all worlds, and that such circumstances cannot therefore be included in a standard modal base. The analysis verifies a relation between Luisa and a particular amount q in the real world w under some specific circumstances, and checks that for all amounts q’ and accessible worlds w’, if there is an individual holding the same relation to q’ in w’ and under the same circumstances, then q’ ≤ q

Studies on Polarity Sensitivity

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the linguistic phenomenon of polarity sensitivity. It is motivated by the belief that the complexity of the phenomenon requires a more articulated analysis than the standard one based on licensing conditions. Traditionally, the term of polarity sensitive is used to identify items whose distribution is considered to be affected by the positivity or negativity of the context of occurrence. The notion of negative context covers more than environments containing overt negation or negative quantifiers. Elements that induce a negative context are potential licensers for negative polarity sensitive items. The phenomenon of polarity sensitivity has been approached from a variety of perspectives in the literature. The cluster of data associated with it raises semantically and syntactically important questions. There is reduced agreement on the definition of pertinent negativity. Sensitive elements show meaning variations when taken in isolation or in con..