From Conceptual Time to Linguistic Time

In this paper, we present a method for generating French texts conveying temporal information that integrates Discourse Representation Theory (DRT) and Systemic Grammar Theory. DRT is used to represent temporal information and an intermediate semantic level for the temporal localization expressed by temporal adverbial phrases and verb phrases. This representation is then translated into a syntactic form using Systemic Grammar Theory. We have implemented this method in a working prototype called Pretexte.

[1]  Veronika Ehrich The Generation of Tense , 1987 .

[2]  Hans Reichenbach,et al.  Elements of symbolic logic , 1948 .

[3]  Mark T. Maybury,et al.  Topical, temporal, and spatial constraints on linguistic realization , 1991 .

[4]  Michael Halliday,et al.  An Introduction to Functional Grammar , 1985 .

[5]  Orna Berry,et al.  Introduction to Ethernet Switching , 1995 .

[6]  Michael Zock,et al.  Advances in natural language generation : an interdisciplinary perspective , 1988 .

[7]  Frank Vlach Temporal adverbials, tenses and the perfect , 1993 .

[8]  Myriam Bras,et al.  Adverbials of temporal location linguistic description and automatic processing , 1993 .

[9]  H. Kamp,et al.  Evénements, représentations discursives et référence temporelle , 1981 .

[10]  Rita McCardell Doerr,et al.  Generation , 2015, Aristotle on Substance.

[11]  Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen,et al.  Text Generation and Systemic-Functional Linguistics: Experiences from English and Japanese , 1992 .

[12]  H. Verkuyl Aspectual classes and aspectual composition , 1989 .

[13]  William C. Mann,et al.  Rhetorical Structure Theory: Description and Construction of Text Structures , 1987 .

[14]  Terry Winograd,et al.  Language as a cognitive process 1: Syntax , 1982 .

[15]  David R. Dowty,et al.  Word Meaning and Montague Grammar , 1979 .

[16]  James F. Allen Maintaining knowledge about temporal intervals , 1983, CACM.

[17]  Rodney Huddleston,et al.  An Introduction to Systemic Linguistics, Volume 1: Structures and Systems , 1977 .

[18]  Terry Winograd,et al.  Language as a Cognitive Process , 1983, CL.

[19]  Nicholas Asher,et al.  Reference to abstract objects in discourse , 1993, Studies in linguistics and philosophy.

[20]  Myriam Bras Calcul des structures temporelles du discours , 1990 .

[21]  H. Margaret Berry,et al.  An introduction to systemic linguistics , 1975 .

[22]  H. Kamp Events, Instants and Temporal Reference , 1979 .

[23]  William C. Mann,et al.  Discourse Structures for Text Generation , 1984, ACL.

[24]  David R. Dowty Tenses, time adverbs, and compositional semantic theory , 1982 .