Recognizing digressive questions during interactive generation
Susan Haller · 1994
In expository discourse, people sometimes ask questions that digress from the purpose of the discussion. A system that provides interactive explanations and advice must be able to distinguish pertinent questions from questions that digress. It must also be able to recognize questions that are incoherent. These types of questions require different treatment. Pertinent questions must be answered to achieve the discourse purpose. If the user asks a digressive question, the system may need to shift the focus of the discussion back to the original purpose. Incoherent questions signal a more serious misunderstanding that requires clarification and repair.