1986•Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)Open access
Attention, intention, and the structure of discourse
Barbara J. Grosz, Candace L. Sidner
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Abstract
This paper presents the basic elements of a computational theory of discourse structure that simplifies and expands upon previous work.By specifying the basic units a discourse comprises and the ways in which they can relate, an account of discourse structure provides the basis for an account of discourse meaning.The paper distinguishes three components of discourse structure: one linguistic, one intentional, and one attentional.The theory, although still incomplete, provides a basis for investigating the structure and meaning of discourse, as well as for constructing "discourse processing systems."
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