tochunk

Purpose

Converts the argument to a chunk it is found in or intersects with.

Syntax

tochunk([chunk_type], $group)

Arguments

The first optional argument chunk_type specifies the chunk type and accepts the values listed below:

Chunk type

Comments

noun phrase

verb phrase

adjectival phrase

prepositional phrase

adverbial phrase

If the argument is not specified, all chunk types are found.

The second required argument is a reference to a named group a user wants to format. If the argument does not constitute a chunk, the function returns it without changing.

The function also takes the following optional named parameters:

Parameter

Comments

match:=range/arguments

If arguments are discontinuous and they are extracted within several sentences, only these sentences appear in the result. When the optional named parameter match:=range is switched on, the argument is converted to the whole text fragment from the first sentence till the last one.

separator:=<string>

The user can indicate a custom separator. If it is not specified, default separator ";" is used.

level:=top/low

The argument is converted to a chunk of a higher/lower level. Set to "low" by default.

Returned Value

The returned data type is string.

Examples

tochunk($m) the argument is converted to any chunk the named group is found in or intersects with.

tochunk(VP, $m) the argument is converted to a verb chunk the named group is found in or intersects with.

tochunk(NP, $m, level:=top) the argument is converted to a noun chunk of a higher level the named group is found in or intersects with..

tochunk(JP, $m, match:=range) the argument is converted to an adjectival chunk where the named group is found, from the first sentence till the last one or intersects with.