Text Interpretation

1. Reference resolution. Determine how objects in one sentence relate to objects in another (often implicit, on one side or another).

2. Causal structure. Determine the causal relations between the events and states (again, often implicit).

Text

John bought two oranges at the store yesterday. When he got home, he found that they were moldy. He brought them back and demanded his money back.

Events:

• E1: John purchases two oranges for $X$ from the store. Time T1.
• E2: John gives $X to the store employees. Time T1.
• E3: A store employee gives the oranges to John. Time T1.
• E4: John eats the oranges (hypothetical).
• E5: John goes home, taking the oranges. Time T2.
• E6: John discovers S2. Time T3.
• E7: John goes to the store, taking the oranges. Time T4.
• E8: A store employee give $X to John (hypothetical).
• E9: John tells a store employee that he/she must carry out E8. Time T5.

State

• S1: John owns the oranges. After T1 through T5.
• S2: The oranges are moldy. All times.
• S3: John is at the store. Time T1, T5.
• S4: John has regained the $X he paid for the oranges. Hypothetical

Causal structure

Subevent(E2,E1).
Subevent(E3,E1).
NeededFor(E1,E2). NeededFor(E1,E3). NeededFor(E2,E1). NeededFor(E3,E1).
Result(E1,S1). Precondition(S1,E4).
Cancels(E5,S3).
Goal(John,E4). Time T1 until T5.
MakesImpossible(S2,E4).
Goal(John,S4). Time T5 through end.
Result(E7,S3). Precondition(S3,E9). PossibleResult(E9,E8). Result(E8,S4).

There are certainly aspects of this story that we have omitted; e.g. why John thinks he is entitled to get his money back.

Google Translate

John kaufte zwei Orangen in der Filiale gestern. Als er nach Hause kam, fand er, dass sie verschimmelt waren. Er brachte sie zurück und verlangte sein Geld zurück.

Translating back:

John bought two oranges in the store yesterday. When he got home, he found that they were moldy. He brought her back and demanded his money back.