A slot-filling model of sentence comprehension

This study investigated how a person comprehends a subject-verb-object (SVO ) sentence. Ln two experiments subjects comprehended sentences to form unit ary representations in a sentence-picture verification task. Reference scop e (superordinates or subordinates) and location of superordinates were mani pulated. Both effects of reference scope and location of superordinates wer e obtained. These findings support a slot-filling model of sentence compreh ension in which subjects successively create a slot for filling the previou sly integrated unit in comprehending a sentence. The slot-filling model sho uld apply to comprehending English as well as Chinese sentences.