In Discourse Representation Theory, which statement correctly describes its cumulative semantic construction?

In Discourse Representation Theory, which statement correctly describes its cumulative semantic construction?

• A. The semantic representation structure is built in a non-cumulative, sentence-by-sentence fashion.
• B. It relies solely on social context without syntactic rules.
• C. It analyzes only phonology and ignores syntax.
• D. It is a formal account in which a semantic representation structure is derived cumulatively sentence by sentence by rules operating on representations of syntax.

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested is that Discourse Representation Theory builds meaning by accumulating information as each sentence is processed. In DRT, you create or update a discourse representation structure (DRS) step by step, using rules that operate on the current representation and on representations of syntax to determine how new referents and conditions are added. This makes interpretation dynamic and cumulative: the overall meaning of a discourse emerges from how each sentence contributes new elements and how they relate to what has already been established, including resolving references like pronouns and handling scope across sentences. That’s why the correct statement describes a formal account in which a semantic representation is derived cumulatively sentence by sentence by rules acting on syntax representations. It captures the essence of DRT’s approach: meaning is not built anew for each sentence in isolation, but grows as the discourse unfolds, guided by syntactic structure to shape how the meaning is represented and how discourse referents are linked. The other options misrepresent the framework. One suggests a non-cumulative, sentence-by-sentencе construction, which contradicts the core idea of building a single, expanding discourse representation. Another ignores syntax and leans on social context, whereas DRT relies on formal syntactic structure to guide semantic composition. The last suggests phonology is the sole focus and ignores syntax, which is plainly incompatible with how DRT operates.

The main idea being tested is that Discourse Representation Theory builds meaning by accumulating information as each sentence is processed. In DRT, you create or update a discourse representation structure (DRS) step by step, using rules that operate on the current representation and on representations of syntax to determine how new referents and conditions are added. This makes interpretation dynamic and cumulative: the overall meaning of a discourse emerges from how each sentence contributes new elements and how they relate to what has already been established, including resolving references like pronouns and handling scope across sentences.

That’s why the correct statement describes a formal account in which a semantic representation is derived cumulatively sentence by sentence by rules acting on syntax representations. It captures the essence of DRT’s approach: meaning is not built anew for each sentence in isolation, but grows as the discourse unfolds, guided by syntactic structure to shape how the meaning is represented and how discourse referents are linked.

The other options misrepresent the framework. One suggests a non-cumulative, sentence-by-sentencе construction, which contradicts the core idea of building a single, expanding discourse representation. Another ignores syntax and leans on social context, whereas DRT relies on formal syntactic structure to guide semantic composition. The last suggests phonology is the sole focus and ignores syntax, which is plainly incompatible with how DRT operates.