Classifying Cue Phrases in Text and Speech Using Machine Learning

Natural Language Processing

Volume

Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 12

Natural Language Discourse

Cue phrases may be used in a dkozsrse sense to explicitly signal discourse structure, but also in a sentential sense to convey semantic rather than structural information. This paper explores the use of machine learning for classifying cue phrases as discourse or sentential. Two machine learning programs (CGRENDEL and C4.5) are used to induce classification rules from sets of pre-classified cue phrases and their features. Machine learning is shown to be an effective technique for not only rautomating the generation of classification rules, but also for improving upon previous results.