Scope
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*They had to take.'''@entry''' some of his land [so that they could extend.'''@entry''' the churchyard]. | *They had to take.'''@entry''' some of his land [so that they could extend.'''@entry''' the churchyard]. | ||
*I couldn't feel.'''@entry''' anger against him [because I liked.'''@entry''' him too much]. | *I couldn't feel.'''@entry''' anger against him [because I liked.'''@entry''' him too much]. | ||
| − | *My suitcase had become.'''@entry''' | + | *My suitcase had become so damaged.'''@entry''' on the journey home [that the lid would not stay closed.'''@entry''']. |
*I used to read.'''@entry''' a lot [although I don't get.'''@entry''' much time for books now]. | *I used to read.'''@entry''' a lot [although I don't get.'''@entry''' much time for books now]. | ||
| − | *He said.'''@entry''' [he was happy.'''@entry'''] [where.'''@entry''' | + | *He said.'''@entry''' [he was happy.'''@entry'''] [where he was.'''@entry''']. |
*I was never allowed.'''@entry''' to do things [the way I wanted.'''@entry''' to do them]. | *I was never allowed.'''@entry''' to do things [the way I wanted.'''@entry''' to do them]. | ||
| − | *The vegetables [that people often leave uneaten] are usually the most nutritious. | + | *The vegetables [that people often leave.'''@entry''' uneaten] are usually the most nutritious.'''@entry'''. |
*Chewing.'''@entry''' with her mouth open is one reason [why Fred cannot stand sitting.'''@entry''' across from his sister Melanie]. | *Chewing.'''@entry''' with her mouth open is one reason [why Fred cannot stand sitting.'''@entry''' across from his sister Melanie]. | ||
*[Why you did.'''@entry''' that] is a mystery.'''@entry''' for me. | *[Why you did.'''@entry''' that] is a mystery.'''@entry''' for me. | ||
Revision as of 18:44, 12 July 2010
The UNL representation is a hyper-graph, which means that it may consist of several interlinked or subordinate sub-graphs. These sub-graphs are represented as hyper-nodes and correspond roughly to the concept of dependent (subordinate) clauses, i.e., groups of words that consist of a subject (explicit or implied) and a predicate and which are embedded in a larger structure (the independent clause). They are used to define the boundaries between complex semantic entities being represented.
Contents |
What is a scope
A scope is a group of nodes and relations between nodes that work as a single semantic entity in a UNL graph. For instance, in the sentence "Mary saw Peter when John arrived", the dependent clause "when John arrived" describes the argument of a time relation and, therefore, should be represented as a hyper-node (i.e., as a sub-graph) as indicated below:
In the UNL table representation, hyper-nodes are indexed by ":XX", where XX is a two-digit hyper-node index. The main node index is :00 and may be omitted. Hyper-node indexes must be associated to every relation inside the node.
When to use scopes
Scopes must be used to isolate dependent clauses:
- adverbial clauses:
- time: her father died [when she was young].
- condition: [If they lose weight during an illness], they soon regain it afterwards.
- purpose: They had to take some of his land [so that they could extend the churchyard].
- reason: I couldn't feel anger against him [because I liked him too much].
- consequence: My suitcase had become so damaged on the journey home [that the lid would not stay closed].
- concession: I used to read a lot [although I don't get much time for books now].
- place: He said he was happy [where he was].
- manner: I was never allowed to do things [the way I wanted to do them].
- adjective clauses:
- relative pronoun: The vegetables [that people often leave uneaten] are usually the most nutritious.
- relative adverb: Chewing with her mouth open is one reason [why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie].
- nominal clauses:
- subjective: [Why you did that] is a mystery for me.
- subjective complement: You can be [whomever you want].
- objective: I know [that the weather will be very hot].
Scopes must also be used to prevent semantic ambiguities:
- electric [light orchestra], with scope, i.e., a "light orchestra" that is electric; or
- electric light orchestra, without scope, i.e., an orchestra that is both "light" and "electric".
When not to use scopes
Scopes should not be used to isolate terms that do not form a semantic unity or that are not semantically ambiguous.
Scopes may also be omitted in word-driven representations, i.e., in representations that focus on relations between words rather than on relations between clauses.
@entry
Every scope (including the main one) must have one and only one attribute @entry, to be assigned to the head of the scope. The head of the scope is:
- the main verb, in verbal predicates;
- the subject complement, in nominal predicates;
- the head of the phrase, in phrases and non-finite clauses.
Examples:
- her father died.@entry [when she was young.@entry].
- [If they lose.@entry weight during an illness], they soon regain.@entry it afterwards.
- They had to take.@entry some of his land [so that they could extend.@entry the churchyard].
- I couldn't feel.@entry anger against him [because I liked.@entry him too much].
- My suitcase had become so damaged.@entry on the journey home [that the lid would not stay closed.@entry].
- I used to read.@entry a lot [although I don't get.@entry much time for books now].
- He said.@entry [he was happy.@entry] [where he was.@entry].
- I was never allowed.@entry to do things [the way I wanted.@entry to do them].
- The vegetables [that people often leave.@entry uneaten] are usually the most nutritious.@entry.
- Chewing.@entry with her mouth open is one reason [why Fred cannot stand sitting.@entry across from his sister Melanie].
- [Why you did.@entry that] is a mystery.@entry for me.
- You can be [whomever you want.@entry].@entry.
- I know.@entry [that the weather will be very hot.@entry].
- electric light orchestra.@entry
