SALALE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
COURSE TITLE: SELECTED TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
COURSE CODE: CoSc4132
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Name ID Number

1. AJEBA DERESA………………………………………...…….RU/2394/14

Submitted To: Mr. Mesfin A.

Submission date: 4/7/2017
FICHE ETHIOPIA
1. Explain the importance of NLP? Discuss the levels of linguistic analysis in NLP

What is Natural Language Processing?

Natural language processing (NLP) is a field of computer science and a subfield of artificial
intelligence that aims to make computers understand human language. NLP uses
computational linguistics, which is the study of how language works, and various models
based on statistics, machine learning, and deep learning. These technologies allow
computers to analyze and process text or voice data, and to grasp their full meaning,
including the speaker’s or writer’s intentions and emotions [1].
NLP powers many applications that use language, such as text translation, voice
recognition, text summarization, and Chabot’s. You may have used some of these
applications yourself, such as voice-operated GPS systems, digital assistants, speech-to-text
software, and customer service bots. NLP also helps businesses improve their efficiency,
productivity, and performance by simplifying complex tasks that involve language [1].
Importance of NLP
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is crucial for enabling computers to understand,
interpret, and generate human language, making technology more accessible and user-
friendly. It plays a vital role in various applications, such as voice assistants like Siri, Alexa,
and Google Assistant, which rely on NLP to understand and respond to user queries. NLP
also aids in extracting valuable information from large volumes of unstructured data, such as
social media posts, emails, and news articles, through data mining. Additionally, it is used for
sentiment analysis, where businesses gauge public sentiment about products or services by
analysing customer reviews and social media comments [2].
First Phase of NLP: Lexical and Morphological Analysis
Tokenization
The lexical phase in Natural Language Processing (NLP) involves scanning text and
breaking it down into smaller units such as paragraphs, sentences, and words. This process,
known as tokenization, converts raw text into manageable units called tokens or lexemes.
Tokenization is essential for understanding and processing text at the word level.
Morphological Analysis
Morphological analysis is another critical phase in NLP, focusing on identifying
morphemes, the smallest units of a word that carry meaning and cannot be further divided.
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Understanding morphemes is vital for grasping the structure of words and their
relationships.
Second Phase of NLP: Syntactic Analysis (Parsing)
Syntactic analysis, also known as parsing, is the second phase of Natural Language
Processing (NLP). This phase is essential for understanding the structure of a sentence and
assessing its grammatical correctness. It involves analysing the relationships between words
and ensuring their logical consistency by comparing their arrangement against standard
grammatical rules.
Examples of Syntax
Consider the following sentences:
 Correct Syntax: "John eats an apple."
 Incorrect Syntax: "Apple eats John an."
Importance of Syntactic Analysis
By analysing and ensuring proper syntax, NLP systems can better understand and generate
human language. This analysis helps in various applications, such as machine translation,
sentiment analysis, and information retrieval, by providing a clear structure and reducing
ambiguity [3].
Third Phase of NLP: Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis is the third phase of Natural Language Processing (NLP), focusing on
extracting the meaning from text. Unlike syntactic analysis, which deals with grammatical
structure, semantic analysis is concerned with the literal and contextual meaning of words,
phrases, and sentences.
Semantic analysis aims to understand the dictionary definitions of words and their usage in
context. It determines whether the arrangement of words in a sentence makes logical sense.
This phase helps in finding context and logic by ensuring the semantic coherence of
sentences.
Key Tasks in Semantic Analysis
1. Named Entity Recognition (NER): NER identifies and classifies entities within the
text, such as names of people, places, and organizations. These entities belong to
predefined categories and are crucial for understanding the text's content.
2. Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD): WSD determines the correct meaning of
ambiguous words based on context. For example, the word "bank" can refer to a financial
institution or the side of a river.
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Examples of Semantic Analysis
Consider the following examples:
 Syntactically Correct but Semantically Incorrect: "Apple eats a John."
o This sentence is grammatically correct but does not make sense semantically.
An apple cannot eat a person, highlighting the importance of semantic
analysis in ensuring logical coherence.
 Literal Interpretation: "What time is it?"
o This phrase is interpreted literally as someone asking for the current time,
demonstrating how semantic analysis helps in understanding the intended
meaning.
Importance of Semantic Analysis
Semantic analysis is essential for various NLP applications, including machine translation,
information retrieval, and question answering. By ensuring that sentences are not only
grammatically correct but also meaningful, semantic analysis enhances the accuracy and
relevance of NLP systems.
Fourth Phase of NLP: Discourse Integration
Discourse Integration is the fourth phase of Natural Language Processing (NLP). This
phase deals with comprehending the relationship between the current sentence and earlier
sentences or the larger context. Discourse integration is crucial for contextualizing text and
understanding the overall message conveyed.
Importance of Contextualization
In conversations and texts, words and sentences often depend on preceding or following
sentences for their meaning. Understanding the context behind these words and sentences is
essential to accurately interpret their meaning.
Example of Discourse Integration
Consider the following examples:
 Contextual Reference: "This is unfair!"
o To understand what "this" refers to, we need to examine the preceding or
following sentences. Without context, the statement's meaning remains
unclear.
 Anaphora Resolution: "Taylor went to the store to buy some groceries. She realized
she forgot her wallet."

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 o In this example, the pronoun "she" refers back to "Taylor" in the first
sentence. Understanding that "Taylor" is the antecedent of "she" is crucial
for grasping the sentence's meaning.
Fifth Phase of NLP: Pragmatic Analysis
Pragmatic Analysis is the fifth and final phase of Natural Language Processing (NLP),
focusing on interpreting the inferred meaning of a text beyond its literal content. Human
language is often complex and layered with underlying assumptions, implications, and
intentions that go beyond straightforward interpretation. This phase aims to grasp these
deeper meanings in communication.
Consider the following examples:
 Contextual Greeting: "Hello! What time is it?"
o "Hello!" is more than just a greeting; it serves to establish contact.
o "What time is it?" might be a straightforward request for the current time,
but it could also imply concern about being late.
 Figurative Expression: "I'm falling for you."
o The word "falling" literally means collapsing, but in this context, it means
the speaker is expressing love for someone.

2. Identify the NLP application areas and provide definitions and examples for each?

NLP Application Areas

Natural Language Processing (NLP) has a wide range of application areas that enhance
various industries and daily interactions with technology [4]. Here are some key application
areas along with their definitions and examples:

 Information Retrieval: This involves finding specific pieces of information within

large, unstructured data sets. An information retrieval system indexes a collection of
documents, analyses the user's query, and presents relevant results. For example,
search engines like Google use NLP to understand user queries and provide relevant
results based on similar search behaviours or user intent.
 Text Classification: This process involves categorizing text into predefined
categories. It is used extensively in email services to filter and categorize emails into
different sections like Primary, Social, or Promotions. Another example is sentiment
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 analysis, where NLP algorithms determine the positive, negative, or neutral
connotation of text, often used in analysing customer feedback or social media posts.
 Sentiment Analysis: This is a type of text classification that focuses on identifying
the emotional tone behind words. It is used by businesses to gauge customer
sentiment towards products or services, helping in market research, reputation
management, and precision targeting. For instance, companies can use sentiment
analysis to understand public opinion on their brand or product from social media
posts.
 Speech Recognition: This application involves converting spoken language into text.
Automated speech recognition (ASR) systems use NLP techniques to transcribe oral
data into a stream of words. Examples include voice assistants like Siri or Alexa,
which recognize and respond to spoken commands.
 Chabot’s and Virtual Assistants: These are AI-powered systems designed to
understand and respond to natural language queries. They can handle routine
customer service inquiries, provide information, and even make appointments. For
example, Chabot’s on company websites can answer customer queries, while voice
assistants can set reminders or provide information based on voice commands.
 Spam Detection: NLP tools can classify text to detect spam or phishing attempts.
They can identify patterns in language that are commonly used in spam messages,
such as urgent calls to action or threatening terms.
 Automated Summarization: This involves creating concise summaries of longer
texts. NLP algorithms can analyze large documents and generate readable summaries,
which is useful for quickly understanding key points in lengthy reports or articles.
 Machine Translation: This application involves translating text from one language to
another. Tools like Google Translate use NLP to provide real-time language
translation, breaking down language barriers and fostering communication.
 Biometric Text Analysis: This innovative application uses NLP to authenticate users
based on their writing style, providing an extra layer of security. It analyses unique
patterns in how individuals construct sentences and express ideas, which can be used
to verify user identity.

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 Reference

[1] A-143, 7th Floor, Sovereign Corporate Tower, Sector- 136, Noida, Uttar Pradesh (201305), "google," 06 Dec
2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/natural-language-processing-overview/. [Accessed 2
March 2025].

[2] T. K. G. V. A. S. 1. N. G. B. N. U. P. 2. K 061, "gogle," July 03 2024. [Online]. Available:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/why-is-nlp-important/. [Accessed 2 March 2025].

[3] N. V. O. Meet Neri, "google," 28 Oct 2023. [Online]. Available:

https://spotintelligence.com/2023/10/28/syntactic-analysis-nlp/. [Accessed 2 March 2025].

[4] S. bar, "google," 07 Oct 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/top-7-applications-of-natural-

language-processing/. [Accessed 3 March 2025].