:manner vs. :instrument

[amrisi]

The current AMR corpus is not fully consistent with respect to usage of :manner vs. :instrument. We probably need to clarify the difference in the guidelines.

As a reference, here's what FrameNet uses. (They tend to split into more detailed roles.)

• instrument: a physical object, typically a tool or weapon to do something
  • Example: It's difficult to SUICIDE with only a pocketknife.
• means: The method or action to do something.
  • Example: The flood EXTERMINATED the rats by cutting off access to food.
• mode_of_transportation: e.g. by bicycle/bus/car/plane/subway/train; on foot
• manner: Any description answering "How is something done." that is not already covered by a more specific role.
  • Example: KILL them quietly.
  • Example: A gunman SLAUGHTERED six people in cold blood because he had been evicted.
• medium: e.g. over the phone
• means_of_communication: e.g. on the radio
• language: e.g. in French

It has been my understanding that for AMR, we use

• :instrument only in a relatively narrow sense of a physical tool/device/weapon
• :medium for channels of communications such as a newspaper, a TV channel, the web, YouTube, Facebook, a speech, as well as languages
• :manner for all other descriptions on how something is done, including FrameNet's manner, means, and mode_of_transportation

OK?

[nschneid]

Sounds good to me.

[nschneid]

The expression "death penalty" is treated inconsistently. Most commonly in cjconsensus and ldcpreferred, it is (p / penalize-01 :instrument (d / die-01)). Should this be converted to (p / penalize-01 :manner (d / die-01)) per your clarification?

[amrisi]

Yes, these would be converted to (p / penalize-01 :manner (d / die-01)) as would generally all AMRs of the form (... :instrument (x / ...-01)) etc.

[amrisi]

Clarification of :manner vs. :instrument adopted at AMR phone meeting on Febr. 11, 2014, as proposed.

Updated documentation at

• https://github.com/amrisi/amr-guidelines/blob/master/amr.md
• http://www.isi.edu/~ulf/amr/lib/amr-dict.html#:instrument
• http://www.isi.edu/~ulf/amr/lib/amr-dict.html#:manner
• http://www.isi.edu/~ulf/amr/lib/amr-dict.html#:medium
• http://www.isi.edu/~ulf/amr/lib/popup/instrument.html
• http://www.isi.edu/~ulf/amr/lib/popup/manner.html

At all annotation sites, please review all release-relevant instances of :instrument and correct as necessary. Thanks!