ABSTRACT
In this final chapter we examine how semantic matching and the structuring process converge on the comprehension of an utterance. The first question discussed here concerns the temporal relationship between these processes. Semantic matching may come before or after the structuring process, or be carried out simultaneously with it. These should not be viewed as mutually exclusive alternatives. Rather, different strategies may be employed at one time or another, according to the exigencies of the situation. As argued repeatedly in the preceeding chapters, having a very flexible model of language performance is necessary, so as to enable the speaker—hearer to deal optimally with the task he is faced with at a given moment (see Sections 3A, 6A, and 6C).
