SYNTAX AND LEXICAL STATISTICS IN ANAPHORA RESOLUTION

Abstract

We describe a syntactically based salience algorithm for pronominal anaphora resolution and a procedure for reevaluating the decisions of the algorithm on the basis of statistically modeled lexical semantic/pragmatic preferences. We report the results of an extensive blind test of both systems on computer manual text. We discuss the implications of these results for the comparative roles of syntactically defined salience and statistically measured lexical preference in determining the references of pronouns in text.

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Notes on contributors

SHALOM LAPPIN

Address correspondence to Prof. Shalom Lappin, Department of Linguistics, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, London WC1H OXG, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected].