Zero pronoun resolution in Chinese using machine learning plus shallow parsing

Abstract

This paper proposed a new method to detect and resolve zero pronouns in Chinese text with integrated automatic main verbs identification, verbal logic valence and machine learning approach. Zero pronoun recognition was treated as the problem of finding missing verbs logic arguments. First, based on automatic main verbs identification, syntax hierarchies were analysed. Second, combining the syntax hierarchy and verbal logic valence theory, zero pronouns were identified. And then using a machine learning approach, zero pronouns were resolved. Experimental results on 150 news articles indicated that the precision and recall of zero pronoun detection is 72.9% and 92.7% respectively, and the accuracy of antecedent estimation is 64.3%. . These results demonstrated this zero pronouns identifying and resolving method works effectively.