Midterm Review CS 4705 Julia Hirschberg

Sample Midterm Question types Definitions True/False Exercises Short answers

Definitions Lemma A lemma is an abstract form, shared by word forms having the same stem, part of speech, and word sense, which stands for the class of words with same stem. For example, cat is the lemma for the word class including “cat, cats”. If you are told to give examples, give at least one Otherwise you will lose points

True/False For each statement, say whether it is true or false; if false, say why it is false. E.g. Earley parsers are bottom-up parsers. Answer: False Why? Earley parsers are top-down parsers.

Exercises Write a grammar that covers the following fragment of English John gave a book to Mary. Give them a book. A book was given to John. They gave a very expensive book. The book was very expensive. How would you start out? How would you check to make sure your grammar will cover the data?

Short Answers Describe the major features of the Earley algorithm. What are its strengths and weaknesses? How would you organize your answer? What must it include?

Tips: Studying Make sure you have done all the assigned reading If you missed a lecture, watch it on line Go over all the class slides If anything seems unfamiliar, look it up in the textbook If you still don’t understand, post a question on Courseworks (but don’t wait too long to do this – we’ll try to answer all questions posted up thru Monday afternoon before the exam) Join a study group Hypothesize likely questions and answer them as a group

Tips: Taking the Exam Allocate your time We’ll suggest the amount of time each section should take and you should try to stay within this estimate as a maximum You can always go back if you end up with more time Read each question completely to make sure you understand what is required If you are unsure, raise your hand and we will come over Do all the easy questions first Don’t write more than you need to on any of them You can always go back if you have time

Procedures Arrive on time or early if possible Space yourselves with a seat between each person We’ll be using the overflow room behind this classroom as well as our classroom No electronics of any kind are allowed If you need to get anything in a bag, ask permission first Be prepared to stay in the room the whole time of the exam – in an emergency, ask permission to leave