We have improved on the integration of referring and informing within NP generation by allowing informing to influence decisions at each stage of the formation of the referring form. Previous np-generation systems only satisfy informing goals after the referring form has been determined.
The points of intervention in the referring process include: the selection of the form of the NP; the choice of the Deictic in common NPs; and choice of restrictive modifiers. Information remaining on the agenda at this point is expressed in non-referring slots of the NP, in particular, the Epithet slot, or non-referring post-modifier slots. The use of an Agenda slot in the NP-specification is the main addition, which allows the Aggregation component to interface with the referring expression generator.