The Structures Of Discourse Structure

Abstract

This paper presents the basic elements of a computational theory of discourse structure that simplifies and expands upon previous work. It is concerned with answers to two rather simple questions: What is discourse? What is discourse structure? As we develop it, the theory of discourse will be seen to be intimately connected with two nonlinguistic notions, namely intention and attention. Attention is an essential factor in explicating the processing of utterances in discourse. Intentions play a primary role in explaining discourse structure, defining discourse coherence, and providing a coherent conceptualization of the term “discourse” itself.