[Corpora-List] max sentence legnths

[John F. Sowa]

Alex,

AR> Well, this is more than I can hold my breath (and this is a
 > fragment, not a 'sentence')...

That's a good example.  But it's not a stream of consciousness
(category #1).  It belongs to category #2, which I should have
expanded to include VPs in addition to Ss and NPs:

JFS> 1. Punctuate a stream of consciousness at likely breath points,
 >       usually at the end of an embedded sentence or NP.
 >
 >    2. Look for many repetitions of sentences or NPs with a similar
 >       syntactic pattern at the beginning of each.

The repetitive pattern (see below) is

   ("," ["and"] V-3rd-pres-sing + complements + miscellaneous modifiers)*

The miscellaneous part also contains miscellaneous commas, but the
only ones that end an iteration are the ones that come before a
V-3rd-pres-sing, possibly with an intervening "and".

I'll admit that the pattern is not easy to find automatically,
but once it's known, it is easy to search for.  I'll also admit
that even after the "exceptionally long" text is broken into
more manageable pieces, those pieces are still nontrivial for
a parser.  But it's encouraging to note that the miscellaneous
parts don't contain any extraneous examples of V-3rd-pres-sing.

Are there more examples of that pattern in other exceptionally long
sentences from the same source?

John
______________________________________________________________________

[The General Assembly]

recalls resolution GC(46)/RES/9B on transport safety,

urges States to participate in the 2003 International Conference on the 
Safety of Transport of Radioactive Material, with a view to addressing 
in a comprehensive way and following up as necessary all issues 
contained in the agreed conference programme,

recalls maritime, river and air navigation rights and freedoms, as 
provided for in international law and as reflected in relevant 
international instruments,

recalls that, under international law, States have the obligation to 
protect and preserve the marine environment,

urges States to ensure that their national regulatory documents 
governing the transport of radioactive materials are in conformity with 
the latest edition of Agency transport regulations,

encourages member States to avail themselves of the Transport Safety 
Appraisal Service, with a view to achieving the highest levels of safety 
during the transport of radioactive materials,

welcomes the practice of some shipping States and operators of providing 
in a timely manner information and responses to relevant coastal States 
in advance of shipments for the purpose of addressing concerns regarding 
safety and security, including emergency preparedness, and

invites others to do so, in order to improve mutual understanding and 
confidence regarding shipments of radioactive materials, noting that the 
information and responses provided should in no case be contradictory to 
the measures of physical protection and safety,

emphasizes the importance of maintaining dialogue and consultation aimed 
at improving mutual understanding, confidence-building and enhanced 
communication in relation to the safe maritime transport of radioactive 
materials,

stresses the importance of having effective liability mechanisms in 
place to ensure against harm to human health and the environment, as 
well as actual economic loss due to an accident or incident during the 
maritime transport of radioactive materials, and

stresses the importance of wide adherence to the international nuclear 
liability regime established by the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability 
for Nuclear Damage, as amended in 1997, and related treaties;


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