Multiple Argument Handling

Abstract

A sentence can be regarded as a verb with multiple arguments. The plausibility of each argument depends not only on the verb but also on other arguments. Measuring the plausibility of verb arguments is necessary in several tasks, such as semantic role labeling, where grouping verb arguments and measuring the plausibility increases performance [70, 135]. Metaphor recognition also requires knowledge of verb argument plausibility in order to recognize uncommon usages, which would suggest either the presence of a metaphor or a coherence mistake (e.g., drink the moon in a glass). Malapropism detection can use the measure of the plausibility of an argument to determine word misuse [185]—such as in hysteric center instead of historic center, density has brought me to you instead of destiny has brought me to you, a tattoo subject instead of a taboo subject, and don’t be ironing instead of don’t be ironic.

This chapter has been written with Kentaro Inui and Yuji Matsumoto.