Predicting Argument Ellipsis Judgments in Japanese: A Large-Scale Study of Native Speaker Consensus and Linguistic Factors

Core Concepts

Native Japanese speakers exhibit a general consensus in their judgments of whether to omit or retain arguments in sentences, with the degree of agreement varying based on associated linguistic factors.

Abstract

This study investigates the degree of consensus among native Japanese speakers on argument ellipsis judgments and the underlying linguistic factors that influence these judgments. The authors collected a large-scale dataset of over 2,000 annotations from native speakers on whether and why particular arguments should be omitted in Japanese sentences. The key findings are: Native speakers overall share common criteria for ellipsis judgments, with a high inter-annotator agreement (Krippendorff's alpha of 0.87). The degree of agreement varies depending on the associated linguistic factors. The annotations exhibit a clear parallel with the ellipsis judgments in the original corpus, suggesting a shared consensus between the author (of the corpus text) and the readers. Experiments with language models, including BERT and GPT-4, reveal a gap between the systems' predictions and human judgments, particularly for judgments based on "soft" preferences rather than "hard" constraints. The authors hope this fundamental resource will encourage further studies on natural human ellipsis judgment and its computational modeling.

Stats

37% of arguments, such as subjects and objects, are omitted in the Japanese corpus. The omission rate for nominative (NOM) arguments is around 50%.

Quotes

"Speakers sometimes omit certain arguments of a predicate in a sentence; such omission is especially frequent in pro-drop languages." "The identification of human consensus on argument ellipsis judgments and its factors will contribute to linguistics and education: it can clarify the underlying consensus on the judgments among native speakers and be a helpful resource for writing assistance."

Key Insights Distilled From

To Drop or Not to Drop? Predicting Argument Ellipsis Judgments: A Case Study in Japanese

by Yukiko Ishiz... at arxiv.org 04-18-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.11315.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

What are the potential applications of the insights gained from this study on argument ellipsis judgments, beyond writing assistance?

The insights gained from this study on argument ellipsis judgments have various potential applications beyond writing assistance. One key application is in the field of natural language processing (NLP), particularly in improving machine understanding of human language. By understanding how native speakers make ellipsis judgments, NLP models can be enhanced to better interpret and generate text, leading to more accurate language processing tasks such as machine translation, text summarization, and sentiment analysis. Additionally, the findings from this study can contribute to the development of more effective language models that can generate more coherent and contextually appropriate text. Understanding the linguistic factors that influence ellipsis judgments can help in creating more human-like responses in conversational agents and chatbots, improving their ability to engage in natural and meaningful conversations with users. Furthermore, the insights from this study can be applied in educational settings to enhance language learning and teaching strategies. By understanding how native speakers decide on argument ellipsis, educators can tailor language instruction to focus on these specific linguistic phenomena, helping learners grasp the nuances of language use more effectively.

How might the linguistic factors identified in this study relate to broader theories of efficient communication and information structure in language?

The linguistic factors identified in this study, such as identifiability, specificity, connotation, grammaticality, and miscellaneous preferences, are closely related to broader theories of efficient communication and information structure in language. These factors play a crucial role in determining how information is conveyed and understood in communication. Efficient communication theories, such as the principle of least effort and information theory, emphasize the importance of conveying information concisely and effectively. Factors like identifiability and specificity are essential for ensuring that the intended message is clear and unambiguous, contributing to efficient communication. Connotation and grammaticality are linked to information structure in language, as they influence how information is organized and conveyed in discourse. Connotation adds layers of meaning and context to communication, while grammaticality ensures that language follows established rules and structures for effective communication. Overall, the linguistic factors identified in this study align with broader theories of efficient communication by highlighting the importance of clarity, coherence, and effectiveness in conveying information through language.

Could the approach used in this study be extended to investigate ellipsis judgments in other pro-drop languages, and how might the findings compare across languages?

Yes, the approach used in this study could be extended to investigate ellipsis judgments in other pro-drop languages. By applying a similar methodology to languages like Spanish, Italian, or Korean, researchers can explore how native speakers of these languages make ellipsis decisions and identify the linguistic factors that influence these judgments. Comparing the findings across different pro-drop languages could reveal both similarities and differences in how ellipsis is employed and understood in diverse linguistic contexts. For example, while identifiability and specificity may be universal factors influencing ellipsis judgments, the weight placed on connotation or grammaticality could vary across languages based on their unique syntactic and semantic structures. Understanding how ellipsis judgments differ across pro-drop languages can provide valuable insights into the universality of certain linguistic principles and shed light on how language-specific factors shape communication patterns. This comparative analysis could contribute to a deeper understanding of language processing mechanisms and the role of ellipsis in facilitating efficient communication across diverse linguistic systems.