English semantics for generation with KPML:
SENTENCE PROPERTIES

An introductory guide by Juan Rafael Zamorano Mansilla 
Updated January 2005

Many of these specifictions are in fact 'macros', which means that they are shorthand for something more complex. They allow you to write simple SPLs without worrying about the semantic specification that is behind them. For example, ":tense present" produces a sentence in the simple present tense without requring that you know that this shorthand for a specific set of temporal relations between the time of speaking and the time of the event described. There are occasions when you need to delve more deeply, but for a beginning you can often get by without.

WH-QUESTIONS

:speech-act-id (q / question :polarity positive)
:question-item-id [name of the participant or circumstance asked about]

YES/NO-QUESTIONS

:speech-act-id (q / question :polarity variable)

TENSE

:tense [present
            past
            future
            present-continuous (or present-progressive)
            past-continuous (or past-progressive)
            future-continuous (or future-progressive)
            present-perfect
            past-perfect
            future-perfect
            future-in-present (going to)
            present-perfect-continuous]

VOICE

:voice [active/passive]

POLARITY

:polarity [positive/negative]

MODALITY

:modality [can
                cant
                could
                couldnt
                may
                might
                must
                neednt
                should
                shouldnt
                will
                wont
                would
                wouldnt]

KPML>Documentation>Input specifications>SPL>sentences