A framework for lexical selection in natural language generation
Sergei Nirenburg, Irene B. Nirenburg · 1988
This paper describes a procedure for lexical selection of open-class lexical items in a natural language generation system. An optimum lexical selection module must be able to make realization decisions under varying contextual circumstances. First, it must be able to operate without the influence of context, based on meaning correspondences between elements of conceptual input and the lexical inventory of the target language. Second, it must be able to use contextual constraints, as supported by collocational information in the generation lexicon. Third, there must be an option of realizing input representations pronominally or through definite descriptions. Finally, there must also be an option of using elliptical constactions. The nature of background knowledge and the algorithm we suggest for this task are described. The lexical selection procedure is a part of a comprehensive generation system, DIOGENES.