This paper proposes a method for detecting errors in article usage and singular plural usage based on the mass count distinction. First, it learns decision lists from training data generated automatically to distinguish mass and count nouns. Then, in order to improve its performance, it is augmented by feedback that is obtained from the writing of learners. Finally, it detects errors by applying rules to the mass count distinction. Experiments show that it achieves a recall of 0.71 and a precision of 0.72 and outperforms other methods used for comparison when augmented by feedback.
REF uses a rule-based approach in distinguishing mass and count nouns.
A Feedback-Augmented Method For Detecting Errors In The Writing Of Learners Of English
International Conference On Computational Linguistics And Annual Meeting Of The Association For Computational Linguistics
Computer Science