11.1 Types of anaphora: pronominal, VP, and discourse anaphora

Anaphora plays a crucial role in creating cohesive and coherent text. It comes in various forms, including pronominal, VP, and discourse anaphora, each serving to link different parts of the text and avoid repetition.

Interpreting anaphora relies on linguistic and extralinguistic context. Resolving anaphoric ambiguities involves identifying likely antecedents based on factors like gender, number, and semantic compatibility, while considering pragmatic elements and world knowledge.

Types of Anaphora

Types of anaphora

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• Pronominal anaphora occurs when a pronoun refers back to a previously mentioned noun phrase (the antecedent) such as personal pronouns (he, she, it, they), possessive pronouns (his, her, its, their), and reflexive pronouns (himself, herself, itself, themselves)
• VP (Verb Phrase) anaphora occurs when a verb phrase refers back to a previously mentioned verb phrase or action, often involving the use of auxiliary verbs (do, does, did) or pro-forms (do so, do it, do that)
  • "John went to the store, and Mary did too." (did = went to the store)
• Discourse anaphora refers to a larger chunk of discourse, such as a sentence, clause, or even an entire paragraph, often involving demonstrative pronouns (this, that) or noun phrases (the aforementioned, the latter)
  • "John argued that the company should invest more in research and development. This idea was met with skepticism from the board members." (This idea = the company should invest more in research and development)

Anaphora in textual coherence

• Anaphora helps create cohesion by establishing links between different parts of the text, allowing for the avoidance of repetition, making the text more concise and readable
• Anaphora contributes to coherence by ensuring that the text is logically connected and easily understandable, helping maintain the flow of ideas and keeping the reader focused on the main topics

Context for anaphoric interpretation

• Linguistic context, including the surrounding words, phrases, and sentences, helps determine the antecedent of an anaphoric expression, with syntactic structure and grammatical rules also playing a role in interpreting anaphora
• Extralinguistic context, such as world knowledge, shared experiences, and cultural background, can influence the interpretation of anaphoric expressions, with pragmatic factors, like the speaker's intentions and the conversation's purpose, also contributing to anaphora resolution

Resolving anaphoric ambiguities

• Identify the most likely antecedent for an anaphoric expression based on the context and the type of anaphora used, considering factors such as gender, number, and semantic compatibility between the anaphoric expression and its potential antecedents
• Use knowledge of anaphora types and context to choose the most appropriate interpretation when multiple antecedents are possible
  • "John told Bill that he should leave." (he could refer to either John or Bill, depending on the context)
• In cases of ambiguity, rely on pragmatic factors and world knowledge to determine the most likely interpretation