Deterministic parsing and unbounded dependencies

Abstract

This paper assesses two new approaches to deterministic parsing with respect to the analysis of unbounded dependencies (UDs). UDs in English are highly locally (and often globally) ambiguous. Several researchers have argued that the difficulty of UDs undermines the programme of deterministic parsing. However, their conclusion is based on critiques of various versions of the Marcus parser which represents only one of many possible approaches to deterministic parsing. We examine the predictions made by a LR(1) deterministic parser and the Lexicat deterministic parser concerning the analysis of UDs. The LR(1) technique is powerful enough to resolve the local ambiguities we examine. However, the Lexicat model provides a more psychologically plausible account of the parsing of UDs, which also offers a unified account of the resolution of local and global ambiguities in these constructions.