Coherence and Coreference*

TLDR

Coherence in conversations and texts can be partially characterized by coherence relations, and a discourse may appear coherent only if certain noun phrases are assumed coreferential. The paper formally defines several coherence relations using an inference system to characterize relations between successive discourse portions. The authors assume entity identity as a petty conversational implicature to resolve coherence and coreference, illustrated with three reference problem examples. The approach successfully recognizes discourse coherence and simultaneously resolves reference problems via petty conversational implicatures.

Abstract

Coherence in conversations and in texts can be partially characterized by a set of coherence relations, motivated ultimately by the speaker's or writer's need to be understood. In this paper, formal definitions are given for several coherence relations, based on the operations of an inference system; that is, the relations between successive portions of a discourse are characterized in terms of the inferences that can be drawn from each. In analyzing a discourse, it is frequently the case that we would recognize it as coherent, in that it would satisfy the formal definition of some coherence relation, if only we could assume certain noun phrases to be coreferential. In such cases, we will simply assume the identity of the entities referred to, in what might be called a “petty conversational implicature,” thereby solving the coherence and coreference problems simultaneously. Three examples of different kinds of reference problems are presented. In each, it is shown how the coherence of the discourse can be recognized, and how the reference problems are solved, almost as a by‐product, by means of these petty conversational implicatures.