Englishrefers

Englishrefers is a comprehensive linguistic resource that catalogues the ways English encodes referents through referential expressions in discourse.

The project covers pronouns (such as he, she, it, they), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), definite and indefinite noun phrases, proper names, titles, and zero anaphora, across dialects and registers. It aims to document how each expression functions to identify, locate, or reference entities within different contexts and discourse structures.

Data are drawn from large corpora and historical texts. Each entry notes grammatical function, discourse status, referent type, antecedent linkage, and cross-dialect variations. Annotations follow a standardized schema to support cross-comparison and reproducibility, with metadata on sources, genre, and annotation confidence.

Researchers use Englishrefers for descriptive syntax, psycholinguistics on referential processing, and natural language processing tasks such as coreference resolution. The resource emphasizes transparency and open access, encouraging community contributions and periodic updates to reflect ongoing changes in language use.

Limitations and scope notes acknowledge that referential expression is dynamic and highly context-dependent. The database includes discussions of ambiguity, metonymy, and discourse-pragmatic factors that influence how references are interpreted, as well as guidance on methodological approaches for studying referential relations in English.