Referring Expression

SEMANTIC
Group 2:
1. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Trang
2. Vo Hoang Phuong Nhu
Referring
expression
Referring Expressions
A Referring Expression is any
expression used in an utterance to
refer to something or someone (or a
clearly delimited collection of things or
people), i.e used with a particular
referent in mind Referring expression is
concrete
Example of referring Expressions
‘Fred hit me’
the speaker has a particular
person in mind when he says
'Fred', so 'Fred' is a referring
expression.
There's no Fred at this
address’ the speaker would
not have a particular person in
mind in uttering the word.
‘Fred’, so is not a referring
expresion.
ypes of Referring Expressions
1.Indefinite Noun Phrase
2. Definite Noun Phrase

01 Indefinite Noun Phrase
Indefinite Noun Phrase is uses articles in its
expression. Indefinite articles (a & an)The
same expression can be a referring
expression or not, depending on the context.
Example
'A man was in here “The first sign of the monsoon is
looking for you last night' a cloud on the horizon no bigger
a man is a referring than a man's hand” a man is not
expression. (yes) a referring expression ( No)
Referring expression
Indefinite noun phrase can be
referring expression depending upon
what is the mind of the speaker
(can be ambiguous)
Example:
1. ‘Nancy married a Norwegian’
a Norwegian is a referring expressions.
( Yes)
2. ‘Nancy wants to marry a Norwegian’
a Norwegian is ambiguity. (Yes / No)
02 Definite Noun Phrase
A definite Noun Phrase, is uses proper names (e.g.
John), personal pronoun (e.g. he, it), and longer
descriptive expression (e.g. the man who shot
Abraham Lincoln)
Example :
1. John in “John is my best friend”
2. He in “He's a very polite man”, said by a husband to
his wife in a conversation about their bank manager.
3. The man who shot Abraham Lincoln in "The man
who shot” Abraham Loncoln was an unemployed actor
Even with definite noun phrases,
there are examples in which they are
not ( or not clearly) referring
expressions.
Example “The person who did this”
“He”
the person who did this in
he in ‘ if anyone ever ‘The person who did this
marries Nancy, he's in for a must be insane', Not such
bad time' (No, the speaker a clear case, but it could
has no particular individual be argued that the person
in mind as Nancy's possible who did this is not a
future husband) referring expression in this
MORE NOTIONS OF
REFERRING EXPRESSION
1.Opaque Context
2. Equative Sentence
An OPAQUE CONTEXT is a part of a
sentence which could be made into a
complete sentence by the addition of a
referring expression, but where the
addition of different referring
expressions, even though they refer to
the same thing or person, in a given
situation, will yield sentences with
DIFFERENT meanings when uttered in
a given situation.
Example :
The incomplete sentence >
Qori believes.... is a hero.
The following two utterances would

make different claims:
A: “Qori believes Spiderman is a
hero”.
B: "Qori believes Tom Holand is a
hero”.
02 Equative Sentence
EQUATIVE SENTENCE is one which is
used to assert the identity of the
referents of two referring
expressions, i.e. to assert that two
referring expressions have the same
referent.
Example:
- Tony Blair is the Prime Minister [ Yes ]
- Cario is not largest city in Africa. [ No ]

-> Cario is a largest city in Africa .
EXERCISE
1.Which of the following could be
used as referring expressions?
Explain why?
a. A book [ Yes ] [ No ]
b. or [ Yes ] [ No ]
EXERCISE
2. Decide whether the italicized noun
phrases are referring expressions or
not and explain why?
a.His father married a dancer.
[ Yes ] [ No ]
b. John wants to marry a dancer.
[ Yes ] [ No ]
EXERCISE
.
3 Which of the following are equative
sentences? Explain why?
a. William the Conqueror is the current
King of England. [ Yes ] [ No ]
b. Tangerang is not the largest city in
Banten. [ Yes ] [ No ]
PREDICATES
What is a predicate??
A PREDICATE is a word (or series
of words) that can function as a
predicator in a sentence.
THE DEFINITION OF PREDICATE ABOVE
CONTAINED TWO PARENTHESIZED
CONDITIONS.
The first (or sequence
the second (in a given single
sense) Emphasizing that the
of words) is intended term "predicate" should
to take care of have only one distinct
examples like wait meaning or meaning. For
for, in front of, which example, "bank" has two
distinct meanings: a bank as
are longer than one
a financial institution and a
word, but which it bank as a river bank. We
seems sensible to should use only one of these
analyse as single meanings depending on the
predicates. context of the sentence.
THE 'PREDICATE' AND THE PREDICATOR' ARE
DISTINCT TERMS IN LANGUAGE AND
PREDICATE SEMANTICS.
PREDICATOR
ldentifying elements Identifying the semantic
roles that a particular
in the language
word plays in a particular
system, such as sentence. It's similar to
English words. It's the grammatical term
something you can "subject." For example,
find in the dictionary. in the phrase "he runs
For example, in quickly“, "runs”
English such as "run“, describes the actions of
"happy”, "quickly" and the subject "him".
others.
THE DEGREE OF A PREDICATE IS THE NUMBER OF
ARGUMENTS THAT ARE USUALLY REQUIRED IN A
SIMPLE SENTENCE.
‘eat' has one degree " give " has a second
because it usually degree because it usually
requires only one requires two arguments,
argument, that is, an that is, the giving subject
object eaten. In the and the given object. In the
phrase "she eats apple”, phrase "he gives her a gift,"
an apple is the "he " is the giving subject,
argument of the "eat”, and "her and gift "are” the
so that degree is one. given objects, so there are
two arguments.
Examples
"The sky is blue" has a predicate "is blue,“
which explains the state of the sky.
"He ran to the store" has a "ran to," which describes

running into the store.
“She is tall" has a predicate "is tall“, which gives a high

quality to “she“.
"The book is on the table" has a predicate

"is on“, which indicates the book's position on the table.

Referring Expression

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SEMANTIC

1.Indefinite Noun Phrase

2. Definite Noun Phrase

The following two utterances would

- Tony Blair is the Prime Minister [ Yes ]

- Cario is not largest city in Africa. [ No ]

"He ran to the store" has a "ran to," which describes

“She is tall" has a predicate "is tall“, which gives a high

"The book is on the table" has a predicate

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