Script generation using rhetorical information in a task specification text

In order to extend the application domain of natural language interfaces to more realistic tasks without the decrease of user´s performance, it is desirable for users to be able to specify their requests as coherent texts consisting of more than one sentence. This paper presents a processing model of a natural language interface that accepts such an input text. Rhetorical information in an input text is used to generate a control structure of an output script program. Detection of loop structures, paraphrasing and dialogue are also incorporated. The algorithms explained in this paper have been implemented and evaluated in a personal email management domain.