--- title: "Remarks on Plural Anaphora — Eschenbach 1989" description: "The paper looks at how a plural pronoun such as \"they\" finds its referent when the earlier text never used a plural phrase." authors: ["Carola Eschenbach", "Christopher Habel", "Michael Herweg", "Klaus Rehkamper"] year: 1989 venue: "Fourth Conference of the European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics" source: "https://aclanthology.org/E89-1022/" licence: "CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 (ACL Anthology, before 2016)" licence_url: "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/" summary_licence: "Elamur Cosmic License" canonical: "https://research.elamur.ai/free/papers/eschenbach-1989-remarks-plural-anaphora/" --- [Elamur Research](https://md.research.elamur.ai/) · [this page in HTML](https://research.elamur.ai/free/papers/eschenbach-1989-remarks-plural-anaphora/) [home](https://md.research.elamur.ai/) / [papers](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/) / [1989](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/1989/) / Remarks on Plural Anaphora # Remarks on Plural Anaphora **Authors:** Carola Eschenbach, Christopher Habel, Michael Herweg, Klaus Rehkamper · **Year:** 1989 · **Venue:** Fourth Conference of the European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics · **Licence:** [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 (ACL Anthology, before 2016)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) **Links:** [Publisher's page](https://aclanthology.org/E89-1022/) · [PDF](https://aclanthology.org/E89-1022.pdf) · [OpenAlex](https://openalex.org/W2102065051) **Citations:** 42 citations (openalex-snapshot · 2026-10-14) · [13](#cited-by) in our library, of the 140673 papers whose bibliographies we read ## Summary The paper looks at how a plural pronoun such as "they" finds its referent when the earlier text never used a plural phrase. In "Michael met Maria", for example, the pronoun needs a group built from singular mentions. Earlier DRT-style work (Frey & Kamp) let almost any set of discourse markers be merged. The authors argue this is far too permissive. They model discourse referents as reference objects (RefOs) in a referential net (RefN). Groups are formed with Link's sum operation, but only under a constraint called the Common Association Basis (CAB). A CAB is a conceptual link among the candidate members, such as sharing an ontological type or a situation that connects them. Conjunctions, with-PPs and verbs with "grouping force" (strong for meet, weak for watch) signal that such a basis exists. When it does, the group is built while the first sentence is processed and enters the discourse focus together with its atomic parts. As a result, plural pronouns can be resolved by the same focus-based mechanism as singular ones. Further principles narrow the choice when several groups are in focus. ## Key points - The core constraint is Herweg's Principle of Connectedness: every sub-RefO of a complex RefO must be linked by a CAB. The CAB extends Lang's Common Integrator from coordination theory. - Contrasting examples show the effect: - In "with their frisbee", the frisbee is left out of the group. - With *meet*, the subject tends to join the group. - With *watch*, the observer stays separate because the verb is dissociative. - Early construction of groups is favoured over waiting for the anaphor. Delaying would make plural and singular resolution work in fundamentally different ways. - The principles of Permanence and Maximality are proposed for plural anaphora specifically. A conflict-resolution strategy is still needed when they leave more than one candidate. - The RefN and sum formation were being implemented in Quintus-PROLOG on a MicroVax, with texts converted to nets by hand. The work was funded by the DFG (grant Ha 1237/2-1) within the GAP project at Universität Hamburg. *Our summary of the paper, in our own words — not its text. The work belongs to its authors; read it at the links above.* Fields: [Linguistics & languages](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/shelves/linguistics/) Topics: [Discourse analysis](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/topics/discourse-analysis/) · [Coreference resolution](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/topics/coreference-resolution/) ## Cited by Cited by 13 papers of our library cite it (of the 140673 whose bibliographies we read); 5 of them have a page here, 8 not yet. - [Assessing the Capabilities of Large Language Models in Coreference: An Evaluation](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/gan-2024-assessing-capabilities-large-language-models/) - [Scoring Coreference Chains with Split-Antecedent Anaphors](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/paun-2023-scoring-coreference-chains-split-antecedent/) - [Free the Plural: Unrestricted Split-Antecedent Anaphora Resolution](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/yu-2020-free-plural-unrestricted-split-antecedent/) - [The Universal Anaphora Scorer](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/yu-2022-universal-anaphora-scorer/) - [The Universal Anaphora Scorer 2.0](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/yu-2023-universal-anaphora-scorer-2-0/) ## Cite The paper itself, not this page. BibTeX from the library's record of the work. ```bibtex @inproceedings{eschenbach1989remarks, title = {{Remarks on Plural Anaphora}}, author = {Eschenbach, Carola and Habel, Christopher and Herweg, Michael and Rehkamper, Klaus}, booktitle = {Fourth Conference of the European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics}, year = {1989}, doi = {10.3115/976815.976837}, url = {https://doi.org/10.3115/976815.976837} } ``` - [← previous KBMT-89 - A knowledge-based MT project at Carnegie Mellon University](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/nirenburg-1989-kbmt-89-knowledge-based-mt/) - [next → The Rosetta project](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/landsbergen-1989-rosetta-project/) - [↑ back to papers of 1989](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/papers/1989/) ## References 16 references, 0 of them with a card of ours. ↗ leads to the work, «find» searches for one we have no id for yet. 1. Allen, James F. (1987): Natural Language Understanding. Benjamin/Cummings: Menlo Park, Ca. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Allen%2C+James+F%2E+%281987%29%3A+Natural+Language+Understanding%2E+Benjamin%2FCummings%3A+Menlo+Park%2C+Ca%2E) 2. Bosch, Peter (1987): Representation and Accessibility of Discourse Referents. IBM Stuttgart. (Lilog Report No. 24) 1 6 6 - Charniak, Eugene (1976): Inference and Knowledge, part 1. in: E. Charniak & Y. Wilks (eds.): Computational Semantics. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Bosch%2C+Peter+%281987%29%3A+Representation+and+Accessibility+of+Discourse+Referents%2E+IBM+Stuttgart%2E+%28Lilog+Report+No%2E+24%29+1+6+6+%2D+Charniak%2C+Eugene+%281976%29%3A+Inference+and+Knowledge%2C+part+1%2E+in%3A+E%2E+Charniak+%26+Y) 3. North Holland: Amsterdam, 1-21. Clark, Herbert H. (1975): Bridging. in P . N . Johnson-Laird & P. Wason (eds.): Thinking. Cambridge UP: Cambridge, 411-420. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=North+Holland%3A+Amsterdam%2C+1%2D21%2E+Clark%2C+Herbert+H%2E+%281975%29%3A+Bridging%2E+in+P+%2E+N+%2E+Johnson%2DLaird+%26+P%2E+Wason+%28eds%2E%29%3A+Thinking%2E+Cambridge+UP%3A+Cambridge%2C+411%2D420%2E) 4. Eschenbach, Carola (1988): SRL als Rahmen eines textverarbeitenden Systems. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Eschenbach%2C+Carola+%281988%29%3A+SRL+als+Rahmen+eines+textverarbeitenden+Systems%2E) 5. GAP-Arbeitspapier 3. Univ. Hamburg. Frey, Werner & Kamp, Hans (1986): Plural Anaphora and Plural Determiners. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=GAP%2DArbeitspapier+3%2E+Univ%2E+Hamburg%2E+Frey%2C+Werner+%26+Kamp%2C+Hans+%281986%29%3A+Plural+Anaphora+and+Plural+Determiners%2E) 6. Ms., Univ. Stuttgart. Garrod, Simon C. & Sanford, Antony J. (1982): The Mental Representation of Discourse in a Focussed Memory System: Implications for the Interpretation of Anaphoric Noun Phrases. Journal of Semantics 1, 21-41. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Ms%2E%2C+Univ%2E+Stuttgart%2E+Garrod%2C+Simon+C%2E+%26+Sanford%2C+Antony+J%2E+%281982%29%3A+The+Mental+Representation+of+Discourse+in+a+Focussed+Memory+System%3A+Implications+for+the+Interpretation+of+Anaphoric+Noun+Phrases%2E+J) 7. Grosz, Barbara & Sidner, Candace (1986): Attentions, Intentions, and the Structure of Discourse. Computational Linguistics 12, 175-204. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Grosz%2C+Barbara+%26+Sidner%2C+Candace+%281986%29%3A+Attentions%2C+Intentions%2C+and+the+Structure+of+Discourse%2E+Computational+Linguistics+12%2C+175%2D204%2E) 8. Guindon, Raymonde (1985): Anaphora Resolution: Short-term memory and focusing. 23rd Annual Meeting ACL, 218-227 Habel, Christopher (1982): Referential Nets with Attributes. in: Proceedings of COLING-82, 101-106. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Guindon%2C+Raymonde+%281985%29%3A+Anaphora+Resolution%3A+Short%2Dterm+memory+and+focusing%2E+23rd+Annual+Meeting+ACL%2C+218%2D227+Habel%2C+Christopher+%281982%29%3A+Referential+Nets+with+Attributes%2E+in%3A+Proceedings+of+COLING%2D8) 9. Habel, Christopher (1986a): Prinzipien der Referentialit~it. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Habel%2C+Christopher+%281986a%29%3A+Prinzipien+der+Referentialit%7Eit%2E) 10. Springer: Berlin. Habel, Christopher (1986b): Plurals, Cardinalities, and Structures of Determination. in: Proceedings of COLING-86. 62-64. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Springer%3A+Berlin%2E+Habel%2C+Christopher+%281986b%29%3A+Plurals%2C+Cardinalities%2C+and+Structures+of+Determination%2E+in%3A+Proceedings+of+COLING%2D86%2E+62%2D64%2E) 11. Herweg, Michael (1988): Ans~itze zu einer semantischen und pragmatischen Theorie der Interpretation pluraler Anaphern. GAP-Arbeitspapier 2. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Herweg%2C+Michael+%281988%29%3A+Ans%7Eitze+zu+einer+semantischen+und+pragmatischen+Theorie+der+Interpretation+pluraler+Anaphern%2E+GAP%2DArbeitspapier+2%2E) 12. Univ. Hamburg. Kamp, Hans (1984): A Theory of Truth and Semantic Interpretation. in: Groenendijk, J. et al. (eds.): Truth, Interpretation and Information. Dordrecht: Foris, 1-41 (GRASS 2). [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Univ%2E+Hamburg%2E+Kamp%2C+Hans+%281984%29%3A+A+Theory+of+Truth+and+Semantic+Interpretation%2E+in%3A+Groenendijk%2C+J%2E+et+al%2E+%28eds%2E%29%3A+Truth%2C+Interpretation+and+Information%2E+Dordrecht%3A+Foris%2C+1%2D41+%28GRASS+2%29%2E) 13. Lang, Ewald (1984): The Semantics of Coordination. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Lang%2C+Ewald+%281984%29%3A+The+Semantics+of+Coordination%2E) 14. John Benjamins: Amsterdam. Link, Godehard (1983): The Logical Analysis of Plurals and Mass Terms: A ~_~ Lattice-theoretical Approach. in: R. B~iuerle et al. (eds.): Meaning, Use, and Interpretation of Language. Berlin: de Gruyter, 302-323. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=John+Benjamins%3A+Amsterdam%2E+Link%2C+Godehard+%281983%29%3A+The+Logical+Analysis+of+Plurals+and+Mass+Terms%3A+A+%7E%5F%7E+Lattice%2Dtheoretical+Approach%2E+in%3A+R%2E+B%7Eiuerle+et+al%2E+%28eds%2E%29%3A+Meaning%2C+Use%2C+and+Interpretation+of) 15. Mtisseler, Jochen & Rickheit, Gert (1989): Komplexbildung in der Textverar-beitung: Die kognitive Aufl6sung pluraler Pronomen. DFG-Projekt "Inferenzprozesse beim kognitiven Aufbau sprachlich angeregter mentaler Modelle", KoLiBri-Arbeits-bericht Nr. 17, Univ. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Mtisseler%2C+Jochen+%26+Rickheit%2C+Gert+%281989%29%3A+Komplexbildung+in+der+Textverar%2Dbeitung%3A+Die+kognitive+Aufl6sung+pluraler+Pronomen%2E+DFG%2DProjekt+%22Inferenzprozesse+beim+kognitiven+Aufbau+sprachlich+angeregte) 16. Bielefeld. Webber, Bonnie L. (1979): A Formal Approach to Discourse Anaphora. Garland: New York. - 167- [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Bielefeld%2E+Webber%2C+Bonnie+L%2E+%281979%29%3A+A+Formal+Approach+to+Discourse+Anaphora%2E+Garland%3A+New+York%2E+%2D+167%2D)