Columbia Games Corpus - Question Function Guidelines

 

1.     Action Request

 

An Action Request is a polite directive that takes the form of a question. An Action Request is either a direct or an indirect request by the initiator that the addressee take some action.

 

Main Type                                 Subtype                                             Example                                                           Description

ACTION REQUEST

 

Indirect


ar-ind

A: "Oh, excuse me!"

B: "Why don't you go ahead?"

(Please go ahead)

 

A: "Well, we need one more Ace of Spades"

B:  "Can you see if the next card is an Ace of Spades?"

(Please see if the next card is an Ace of Spades)

 

 

 

 

Action Request/Indirect types function as a polite directive by the initiator to the addressee, when the initiator requests that action be taken by the addressee. This type often takes the form of a question but is used to request an action on the part of the addressee.

 

 

 

 

Direct


ar-dir

A: "Go ahead and try that card, okay?"

B: "Sure thing."

(Please try the next card)

 

Action Request/Direct can also take a Tag form, with a directive followed by a question word typically in the set: "right?", "okay?", "got it?"

 

2.     Clarification

 

A Clarification question is a request by the initiator to clarify a previous utterance made by the addressee. It is tied directly to a previous utterance. One function of a Clarification question includes reformulation or summarization by the initiator of the addressee's prior utterance, in order to verify that the initiator has understood the addressee correctly. A Clarification question may also be the means by which the initiator indicates miscomprehension of all or part of the addressee's prior utterance. The reasons for the miscomprehension can include a single constituent in question, a failure to hear the utterance completely, and unfamiliarity by the initiator with the meaning of word or phrase uttered by the addressee. Finally, Clarification questions may include suggestions from the initiator to the addressee as to what the initiator thinks the addressee intended to say,

 

Main Type                                 Subtype                                             Example                                                           Description

 

 

CLARIFICATION

Reformulation/

Summarization/

Specification

 

Can X be summarized as Y? Am I correct that Y is an alternative way to describe X?


cl-rss

A: "So, you'll want to take the distance traveled and divide that by the time."

B: "Oh, you want me to determine the speed?"

 

A: "But she doesn't eat milk or eggs either."

B: "So is she a vegan?"

 

A: "Find the card with the dog."

B. "The yellow dog?"

Clarification/Reformulation questions include the initiator's repeating, echoing, paraphrasing, summarizing, or further specifying what the initiator has understood of the addressee's utterance to clarify that they have received information correctly.

 

Suggest Possible Correction or Intention

 

Did you mean 'X' here?


cl-sugg

    A: "I think Murakami's style is interesting, he's sort of a..."
    B: "Surrealist?"
    A: "Thank you! Surrealist."

 

    A: "I think Murakami's style is interesting, he's sort of a..."
    B: "Surrealist?"
    A: "No, I was actually thinking post-modernist."

 

 

Clarification/Suggest questions are literal proposed words or utterances by the initiator to the addressee, which the initiator believes the addressee intended to utter. The initiator presents to the addressee what the initiator infers the addressee means. These can include a single word that the initiator "fills in" for the addressee, or a complete utterance encompassing the addressee's original meaning. The addressee may either accept or reject this utterance as an adequate fit.

 

    A: "We have to tell that..umm"

    B: "We need to tell that insufferable, unmannerly beast to watch his foul mouth?"

    A: "Yep."

Confirmation


cl-conf

A: "You've got it, right?"

B: "Yes."

 

A: "So, we're agreed-- we'll match the cards, right?"

B: "No, I thought we decided to wait."

 

A: "So, you have a blue moon then?"

B: "Yeah."

 

A: "I think we're done, no?"

B: "Nope, we still have one more draft of the 'Question Function' guidelines to discuss."

 

 

 

 

Clarification/Confirmation questions include align type questions, which check the attention, agreement, or readiness of the addressee. This type is used by the initiator in an attempt to confirm that information has been successfully transferred in order to move on in the dialogue. The initiator is confirming something that he or she believes is known by both the initiator and the addressee, so that it can be verified that the initiator and addressee are "on the same page" or have reached common ground. The questions typically express the bias of the speaker toward one answer, indicating what the initiator believes to be true, as in examples where a tag form is used, including "isn't", "doesn't", "don't", "aren't" "can't", to ask in the negative form if something is true, and "right?" etc. to ask in the positive form if something is true.

 

Signal Non-Understanding: Acoustic

 

Did you utter 'X'?

 

What/who do you mean by 'X'?


cl-sigac

 

A: "Ouch."

B: "Did you say something or am I hearing things?"

 

 

A: "Excuse me! I'm looking for a bathroom".

B: "Pardon?"

 

A: "Is there a bathroom here?"

B: "What did you say?

 

 

Clarification/Signal Non-Understanding/Acoustic questions are also requests by the initiator to the addressee to repeat the utterance or specific constituent in question, due to a breakdown in communication for acoustic reasons. These breakdowns may include:

 

Execution / Attention breakdown

(contact)

 

Initiator unsure if utterance was made.

 

Presentation / Identification breakdown (perception)

 

Initiator heard that utterance was made, but did not distinguish any meaningful elements of that utterance.

 

 

Signal Non-Understanding: Semantic/Referential


cl-sigsr

A: "Do you like Java?"

B: "Do you mean the programming language? Or coffee?"

 

A: "Over there"

B: "Where is 'there'?"

 

A: "It's right above the square."

B: "Which square?"

Clarification/Signal Non-Understanding/Semantic questions are also requests by the initiator to the addressee to repeat the utterance or specific constituent in question, due to a breakdown in communication for due to semantic ambiguity or unfamiliarity. Reasons for this breakdown include:

 

Signal / Recognition breakdown

 

Initiator heard utterance syntax, but needs clarification on the meaning of a word or phrase. This occurs when multiple interpretations of the utterance exist, making the utterance or a specific constituent therein ambiguous or vague. This also occurs when a particular constituent was not recognized by the initiator due to their unfamiliarity with the constituent.

 

 

3.     Rhetorical Question

 

A Rhetorical Question is sometimes described as a forceful statement. It is a question asked in order to make a point, and does not expect an answer. Often the initiator utters the question with the notion that the answer is implied or obvious. If the point that the initiator expresses is a strong positive or negative feeling, it can be used to signal agreement or disagreement. This is typically done by asking a rhetorical question that expects a response of an obvious 'true' or 'false'. In all cases, the rhetorical question is asked for the purposes of making a point rather than to obtain information.

 

Main Type                                 Subtype                                             Example                                                           Description

RHETORICAL QUESTION

Agreement


rh-agr

A. "Do you want to do that then?"

B. "Sure, why not?"

(Yes, there is no reason not to)

 

A. "So you think Fred did it?"

B. "Is the pope catholic?"

(Yes, of course Fred did it)

Rhetorical Question/Agreement includes agreements that take the form of a question. The agreement is not expressed explicitly, but is meant to be inferred, as it does not require a response and is thought to signal a positive by making an obvious point.

 

Point


rh-pnt

A. "Well, apparently he married his adopted daughter!"

B: "Who would do such a thing?"

(That behavior is utterly deplorable and reprehensible)

Rhetorical Question/Point includes questions that typically do not require a response, and are uttered with the belief that an obvious point, which is not a simple agreement or disagreement, can be inferred by the addressee.

 

Backchannel


rh-bch

A: "She totally had it out with him!"

B: "Oh, really?"

(Tell me more, continue)

 

A: "There is a faster way to do that, you know."

B: "You don't say?"

(Please go on, tell me this faster way)

Rhetorical Question/Backchannel is a backchannel that takes the form of a question. A Rhetorical Question/Backchannel is a response uttered by the initiator that indicates only "I'm still here / I hear you and please continue". It takes the form of a question, but does not function as a question. Instead, it indicates only an interest on the initiators part for the addressee to continue speaking. The speaker does not take the floor, as the question is meant only to signal interest and encouragement for the addressee to continue.

 

 

4.     Information Request

 

An information request occurs when the initiator requests factual information or a suggestion, or an opinion, or the approval of the addressee. It does not include requests for clarification.

 

Main Type                                 Subtype                                             Example                                                           Description

INFORMATION REQUEST

 

Factual


ir-fact

A: "What card are you looking at?"

 

A: "Do you have any Aces?"

 

Information Request/Factual includes requests for information that is factual and verifiable.

Comment


ir-comm

A: "Should we match these cards? What do you think?"

Information Request/Comment includes requests by the initiator for the approval, opinion, or evaluation of the addressee.

 

Suggest


ir-sugg

A: "Which card do you think we should match?"

Information Request/Suggest includes requests by the initiator for a suggestion from the addressee.