[erg] Numbers and card predicate

[Alexandre Rademaker]

Hi all,

I was examining numbers and units of measurement when I found these sentences and analysis. The number 3.7 is represented in the MRS with the predicate card with CARG “1”. The number 2,5 is represented as ‘card’ with CARG “2,5”. These are the best 1 output of ACE 0.9.30 with the ERG (trunk) and erg-2018-osx-0.9.30.dat distributed with ACE 0.9.30. 

SENT: Average ultimate production per acre for these fields is 3.7 MMCFG.
[ LTOP: h0
INDEX: e2 [ e SF: prop TENSE: pres MOOD: indicative PROG: - PERF: - ]
RELS: < ...
 [ card<57:60> LBL: h35 CARG: "1" ARG0: e37 [ e SF: prop TENSE: untensed MOOD: indicative PROG: - PERF: - ] ARG1: x31 ]
 [ named<61:67> LBL: h35 CARG: "MMCFG" ARG0: x31 ] >
HCONS: < h0 qeq h1 h5 qeq h7 h12 qeq h14 h20 qeq h22 h27 qeq h29 h33 qeq h35 >
ICONS: < > ]

SENT: Cumulative production after 20 years is estimated to be about 2,5 BCFG.
[ LTOP: h0
INDEX: e2 [ e SF: prop TENSE: pres MOOD: indicative PROG: - PERF: - ]
RELS: < ...
 [ card<62:65> LBL: h28 CARG: "2,5" ARG0: x22 ARG1: i30 ]
 [ proper_q<66:71> LBL: h31 ARG0: x24 RSTR: h32 BODY: h33 ]
 [ named<66:71> LBL: h34 CARG: "BCFG" ARG0: x24 ] >
HCONS: < h0 qeq h1 h5 qeq h7 h13 qeq h15 h19 qeq h20 h26 qeq h28 h32 qeq h34 >
ICONS: < e2 topic x3 > ]


Using fftb, I understood that better analysis would be possible for both sentences, not using the predicate `card`. What I didn’t understand is the reason to make CARG “1” for the token “3.7”. 

Sorry, it is probably one more sign of my ignorance of basic concepts! ;-)

Best, 
Alexandre