Appendix H
Logical Representations of Sentence Meaning
Appendix: Logical Representations of Sentence Meaning, in Daniel Jurafsky and James H. Martin, Speech and Language Processing, 3rd edition draft, August 19, 2026.
Topics to learn
Page numbers refer to the linked chapter PDF.
- What a meaning representation must support p. 2
- Computational requirements p. 2
- Model-theoretic semantics p. 4
- First-order logic p. 7
- Constants, predicates, and connectives p. 7
- Variables and quantifiers p. 9
- Lambda notation p. 10
- Semantics p. 11
- Inference p. 12
- Richer representations p. 14
- Events and states p. 14
- Description logics p. 15
FAQ
What is a model in model-theoretic semantics?
A structure that says which objects exist and which predicates are true of them. A logical form is not true by itself. It is true or false in a model.
What is lambda for?
It builds a function that can still take an argument. Composition can apply that function to a subject or object instead of leaving a placeholder with no rule for filling it.
Does a quantified formula say which individual was meant?
No. A quantifier states how many, or whether any, objects satisfy a condition. Resolving a particular referring expression is a different task.
Why represent events as individuals?
So tense, modifiers, and extra participants can attach to the event rather than forcing every modifier into the verb's argument list. The appendix separates this from a bare predicate of the participants.