Definitions of Conjunction and Disjunction

[Gisela Redeker]

I have been using the following definitions, which I am pretty sure I
got from Bill Mann's page in 2003:

*Relation *

	

*Constraints on each pair of N *

	

*Intention of W *

Conjunction

	

The items are conjoined to form a unit in which each item plays a
comparable role

	

R recognizes that the linked items are conjoined

Disjunction

	

An item presents a (not necessarily exclusive) alternative for the other(s)

	

R recognizes that the linked items are alternatives


What I like about these definitions is their flexibility: I distinguish
subject matter and presentational uses (for these and for the
multi-nuclear relations of LIST and SEQUENCE).

I've only now discovered that the current list of definitions on the RST
site no longer includes these -- does anyone know why?

Best regards,
Gisela

Gisela Redeker, Professor
Department of Communication and Information Sciences
Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen
P.O.Box 716, NL-9700 AS Groningen
g.redeker at rug.nl tel: +31-50-3635973 fax: +31-50-3636855
http://www.let.rug.nl/~redeker



Mick O'Donnell wrote:

> Hi Chris, Jelisaveta,
>
>   The original document describing was RST:
>
> William C. Mann and Sandra A. Thompson 1987 "Rhetorical Structure
> Theory: A Theory of Text Organization". ISI Technical Report
> ISI/RS-87-190.
> (available from: http://www.sfu.ca/rst/05bibliographies/report.html)
>
> It mentions disjunction under multinuclear relations (p73). However,
> from a quick look, I don't think any details are given of this
> relation.
>
> Conjunction is not mentioned.
> However, there is a Joint relation (p76), which I think is too weak
> for conjunction: Joint asserts no relation between nuclei, while
> Conjunction should assert some relation amongst the nuclei.
>
> Note however that Bill Mann did add Conjunction
> to the relation sets for both classical and extended RST.
>
> Mick
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jelisaveta Safranj wrote:
>
>> Dear Chris,
>>
>> I have found something in Discourse Tagging Reference Manual written
>> by Lynn Carlson and Daniel Marcu.
>>
>> Disjunction is a multinuclear relation whose elements can be listed
>> as alternatives, either positive or negative.
>>
>> Examples:
>> [Call it a fad.] [Or call it the wave of the future.]
>>
>> In the aerobic phase, for instance, lactic acid and lactate are still
>> produced, [but they are consumed by less active muscles] [or
>> metabolized in the liver] and so do not accumulate.
>>
>> Conjunction is not mentioned at all.
>>
>> Hope it helps
>> Jelisaveta
>>
>>
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