Feature structures

Feature structures may be constructed using, among other facilities, the commands provided by avm.sty. It is necessary to include feature structures in a figure environment, to ensure proper conversion to HTML. However, it is not necessary to duplicate material, for un-numbered feature structures (numbered feature structures can be handled as for numbered trees and numbered sentences: by enclosing, for the HTML version, the feature structure in a figure environment, embedded in a tabular). Examples follow.

Feature structures: Example 1 -- Simple

The example in figure 3.3 illustrates the classification.

 figure729
Figure 3.3: Example 1 

The example was produced as follows:

The example in figure~\ref{4f7} illustrates 
the classification.

\begin{figure}[h!tb]   
\centering
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{2} 
\avmoptions{sorted}
\begin{tabular}[t]{lll}
A few participants in this competition & swim 
& for their country\\
\begin{avm}\[{caus\&{}chng}cause $\ind{1}$\;\[{loc}man $+$\\
dir $-$\]\\
change $\ind{1}$\]\end{avm}
\end{tabular}
\vspace{1ex}
\caption{Example 1\label{4f7}}        
\vspace{1.5ex}
\end{figure}

Feature structures: Example 1 -- Complex

Given that the subject of the infinitive VP complement is also assigned a role in the infinitive CONTENT description, a sentence such as ``John tries to run'' would be as follows:

figure750

This example was produced as follows:

Given that the subject of the infinitive VP 
complement is also assigned a role in the infinitive 
CONTENT description, a sentence such as
``John tries to run'' would be as follows:  
  
\vspace{1.5ex}   
\begin{center}
tex2html_wrap_inline1871begin{htmlonly}
\begin{figure}[h]
tex2html_wrap_inline1871end{htmlonly}
\avmoptions{active}
\avmfont{\normalsize}    
\avmsortfont{\scriptsize\it}
\begin{avm}
[phon \it try\\
synsem|loc|cat[subcat \]:@2 \> \\
   content[ reln \it try\\  
          tryer @1\\    
             soa-arg @2[ reln \it run\\
                  runner @1]]]]
\end{avm}
tex2html_wrap_inline1871begin{htmlonly}
\end{figure}
tex2html_wrap_inline1871end{htmlonly}
\end{center}
\vspace{1.5ex}

Feature structures: Example 3 -- Frames

Frames are best captured in a tabular inside a table environment, as in the following fragment.

Unlike argument optionality, frame alternations always require the independent description of more than one frame to be related at the frame_list level. Let us consider first the case of the causative-inchoative alternation.

Frame_1 (table 3.3) and frame_2 (table 3.4) describe the constructions ``John broke the vase'' and ``the vase broke'', respectively.

 

frame_1 ([slot_1 ([slot_real_1(CatLabel: np, Subject: subj)]),
slot_2 ([slot_real_1(CatLabel: np, Subject: comp)])])
Table 3.3: ``John broke the vase'' 

 

frame_2 ([slot_1 ([slot_real_1(CatLabel: np, Subject: subj)])])
Table 3.4: ``the vase broke'' 

In order to express the fact that, in these examples, `vase' is associated with two different slots in the two frames, we avail ourselves of the notation in table 3.5, specified at the frame_list level, which encodes the correspondence between slot_2 in frame_1 and slot_1 in frame_2.

 

frame_list ([related_1(FrameIndex: 1, SlotIndex: 2, FrameIndex: 2, SlotIndex: 1)])
Table 3.5: Notation at the frame_list level 

The examples were produced as follows:

Unlike argument optionality, {\em frame alternations} 
always require the independent description of more than 
one frame to be related at the frame\_{}list level. 
Let us consider first the case of the causative--inchoative 
alternation.
 
Frame\_{}1 (table~\ref{4t9}) and frame\_{}2 (table~\ref{4t10})
describe the constructions ``John broke the vase'' and 
``the vase broke'', respectively. 

\begin{table}[h!tb]
\centering 
\begin{tabular}{lll}
frame\_{}1
& ([slot\_{}1 
& ([slot\_{}real\_{}1(CatLabel: np, Subject: subj)]),\\
&  \ \ slot\_{}2 & ([slot\_{}real\_{}1(CatLabel: np, Subject:
comp)])])
\end{tabular}
\caption{``John broke the vase''\label{4t9}}
\end{table}

\begin{table}[h!tb]    
\centering 
\begin{tabular}{lll}
frame\_{}2
 & ([slot\_{}1 & ([slot\_{}real\_{}1(CatLabel: np, 
Subject: subj)])]) 
\end{tabular}
\caption{``the vase broke''\label{4t10}}
\end{table}
 
In order to express the fact that, in these examples, 
`vase' is associated with two different slots in 
the two frames, we avail ourselves of
the notation in table~\ref{4t11}, specified at 
the frame\_{}list level, which encodes the 
correspondence between slot\_{}2 in frame\_{}1 
and slot\_{}1 in frame\_{}2.
 
\begin{table}[h!tb]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{lll}
frame\_{}list 
& ([related\_{}1(FrameIndex: 1, SlotIndex: 2, 
& FrameIndex: 2, SlotIndex: 1)]) 
\end{tabular}
\caption{Notation at the frame\_{}list level\label{4t11}}
\end{table}


ceditor@tnos.ilc.pi.cnr.it