The extensive literature on subject expression in Spanish makes for rich comparisons between generative (formal) and usage-based (functional) approaches to language acquisition. This article explores how the problem of subject expression has been conceptualized within each research tradition, as well as unanswered questions that both approaches…

Generative approaches to language have long recognized the natural link between theories of knowledge representation and theories of knowledge acquisition. The basic idea is that the knowledge representations provided by Universal Grammar enable children to acquire language as reliably as they do because these representations highlight the…

We introduce a computational theory of situated language understanding in which the meaning of words and utterances depends on the physical environment and the goals and plans of communication partners. According to the theory, concepts that ground linguistic meaning are neither internal nor external to language users, but instead span the…

Detailed version of a speech at the third Congress on Computational Linguistics in Stockholm, Sweden, September 1969. (VM)

The first section of this paper deals with the attempts within the framework of transformational grammar to make semantics a systematic part of linguistic description, and outlines the characteristics of the generative semantics position. The second section takes a critical look at generative semantics in its later manifestations, and makes a case…

Noam Chomsky's transformational-generative grammar model may effectively be translated into an equivalent computer model. Phrase-structure rules and transformations are tested as to their validity and ordering by the computer via the process of random lexical substitution. Errors appearing in the grammar are detected and rectified, and formal…

In generating sentences by means of a transformational grammar, it is necessary to analyze trees, testing for the presence or absence of various structures. This analysis occurs at two stages in the generation process--during insertion of lexical items (more precisely, in testing contextual features), and during the transformation process, when…

This is an attempt to compile, from public sources, as complete a bibliography as possible of works related to linguistics and having to do with transformational generative grammar. The arrangement is alphabetical by author and chronological by publication or delivery date of works of a given author. The majority of items are also indexed by…

SAMPLE OUTPUT SENTENCES OF VARIOUS COMIT AND SNOBOL PROGRAMS FOR TESTING A CHINESE GENERATIVE GRAMMAR ARE PRESENTED. THE GRAMMAR CHOSEN FOR EXPERIMENTATION IS A PRELIMINARY VERSION OF A TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR. ALL OF THE COMIT PROGRAMS AND ONE OF THE SNOBOL PROGRAMS USE A LINEARIZED REPRESENTATION OF TREE STRUCTURES, WITH ADDITIONAL NUMERICAL…

This paper is a survey of some of the major semantic models that have been developed for automated semantic analysis of natural language. Current approaches to semantic analysis and logical interference are based mainly on models of human cognitive processes such as Quillian's semantic memory, Simmon's Protosynthex III and others. All existing…

A COORDINATION SCHEMA IS DESCRIBED WHICH HAS BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE "MITRE" GRAMMAR. THIS SCHEMA DEALS WITH THE TYPE OF COORDINATION WHERE A SINGLE SENTENCE OF TWO OR MORE CONSTITUENTS ALLOWS FOR A PARAPHRASE OF TWO OR MORE SEPARATE SENTENCES WHICH ARE IDENTICAL IN EVERY RESPECT EXCEPT FOR THE CONJOINABLE MEMBERS. THE NEW APPROACH…

After presenting various problems related to the lexicon in a linguistic theory, the author suggests a procedure for overcoming the problems. (MF)

PRESENTED IN THIS PAPER IS A SIMPLIFIED DESCRIPTION OF AN ALGORITHM FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH SENTENCES. IT IS NEITHER ASSUMED NOR IMPLIED IN THIS ALGORITHM THAT ANY KIND OF PRIOR ANALYSIS (EITHER STRING OR CONSTITUENT ANALYSIS) IS REQUIRED AS A PREREQUISITE. IN ORDER TO DEFINE THE SET OF ALL TRANSFORMS, THE AUTHORS FIRST DEFINE A…

A CLASS OF TRANSFORMATION GRAMMARS IS DEFINED AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR SENTENCE ANALYSIS IS DESCRIBED AND DOCUMENTED WITH RESPECT TO THIS CLASS. THE PROGRAM EXISTS IN PURE LISP FORM AND IN MIXED LISP AND IBM 7090 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE FORM. THE PAPER CONTAINS INFORMATION TO PERMIT THE USER TO WRITE HIS OWN TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR. COMPUTER PROGRAM…

RESEARCH IN THREE AREAS OF COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS IS DESCRIBED--(1) THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR FOR A SUBSET TO GRAMMATICAL SENTENCES IN ENGLISH, (2) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS GRAMMAR IN TERMS OF A SENTENCE SYNTHESIZING PROGRAM WRITTEN IN LISP 1.5, AND (3) THE USE OF SENTENCE SYNTHESIZING PROGRAMS FOR…