Integrating Generative Lexicon Event Structures into VerbNet.

This paper focuses on specific changes to the semantic representations associated with classes of verbs in the English lexical resource VerbNet (Schuler, 2005). The new form has been restricted to first-order representations to simplify use by and integration with planners. More significantly, the modifications incorporate the Generative Lexicon's event structure, with temporal ordering of subevents associated with explicit predications over the verb's arguments. These changes allow for greater flexibility in representing complex events, for a more consistent treatment of the oppositions inherent in change-of-state classes, and for a more nuanced portrayal of the Agent's role.