Ling/CSE 472: Assignment 6: Meaning

Due December 7th, by the start of class, consists of 3 parts

Part 1: Pronoun Resolution

Do problems 18.3 and 18.4 from page 716 of the textbook.

Part 2: Text coherence

(Adapted form of) Problem 18.8 (p. 718)

Consider passages (1a-b)

1. The city council denied the demonstrators a permit because

  1. they feared violence.
  2. they advocated violence.
What are the correct interpretations for the pronouns in each case? Sketch out an analysis of each in the interpretation-as-abduction framework, in which these reference assignments are made as a by-product of establishing the Explanation relation.

Specifically, list the world-knowledge axioms needed to interpret these (using 18.80-82 on page 699 as examples). You can assume axioms (18.78-79) and (18.83). Also, list the information from the context of the utterances themselves (a la 18.84-85). Show the line of reasoning that shows the coherence of discourse (a) and of discourse (b), along with how the reference assignments are made, similarly to how it is done on page 700.

Note: Your world-knowledge axioms should be fairly simple and straightforward. Specifically, just as the example in the book did not include an axiom stating that driving entails having your carkeys:

∀x,ei drive(ei, x) ⇒ ∃ej,y have(ej, x, y) ∧ carkeys(y, x)

you do not need an axiom that says you need a permit in order to do violence:

∀x,ei do-violence(ei, x) ⇒ ∃ej,y have(ej, x, y) ∧ permit(y)

Part 3: Lexical Semantics

Problem 16.6 (p. 629)

Describe appropriate selectional restrictions on the verbs drink, kiss and write using senses found in WordNet. (See page 614 - 619 of the text.)