Example

One passage (314 words, 1 paragraph) in three forms: the original English, the same text in CE markup, and a short CGEL constituency tree of the first sentence.

The source is John F. Kennedy’s address at Rice Stadium on 12 September 1962, later known as We choose to go to the Moon.

Natural English

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours. There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.

CE markup

Brackets mark phrases. {#name} names a span so a later word can point at it with {@name}. {wd:Q…} binds a proper noun to a Wikidata item: the Moon, Rice University, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Example · CE markup

We [set sail] on [this new sea]{#space} because [there is [new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won]{#aims}, and they{@aims} must be [won and used] for the progress of all people].
For [space science]{#sci}, like [nuclear science and all technology], has no conscience of its{@sci} own.
Whether it{@sci} will become a force for [good or ill] depends on man{#man}, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether [this new ocean]{@space} will be [a sea of peace] or a new terrifying theater of war.
I do not say [that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space{@space} any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of [land or sea]], but I do say [that space{@space} can be [explored and mastered] [without feeding the fires of war], without repeating the mistakes that [man{@man} has made in extending [his{@man} writ] around this globe of ours]].
There is [no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict] in [outer space]{@space} as yet.
Its{@space} hazards are hostile to us all.
Its{@space} conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its{@space} opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again.
But why, some{#some} say, [the Moon]{wd:Q405 #moon}?
Why choose this{@moon} as [our goal]{#goal}?
And they{@some} may well ask, why [climb the highest mountain]{#other1}?
Why, 35 years ago, [fly the Atlantic]{#other2}?
Why does [Rice{wd:Q842909} play Texas{wd:Q49213}]{#other3}?
We choose to go to the Moon.
We choose to go to the Moon...
We choose to [[go to [the Moon] in this decade] and do [the other things]{@other1 @other2 @other3 #others}]{#tasks}, [not because they{@tasks} are easy, but because they{@tasks} are hard]; [because [that goal]{@goal} will serve to [organize and measure] the best of our [energies and skills]], because [that challenge]{@goal} is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and [the others]{@others :Obj}, too.

First sentence · senses and tree

The JSON-LD graph below lists each word of the first sentence with its Open English WordNet sense or Wikidata lexeme, plus the three Wikidata items named later in the passage. The constituency JSON and the icicle are an excerpt of that sentence only. A tree of the whole speech would be larger than this page, and this one is an illustration, not a checked parse.

Example · ce-tree · @graph

{
  "@context": "https://w3id.org/canonical-english/context/v1",
  "@graph": [
    { "@id": "wikidata:Q405", "@type": "AstronomicalBody", "name": "Moon" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:Q842909", "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity", "name": "Rice University" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:Q49213", "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity", "name": "University of Texas at Austin" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L483", "form": "We" },
    { "@id": "oewn:01632091-v", "form": "set" },
    { "@id": "oewn:04135005-n", "form": "sail" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2260", "form": "on" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2994", "form": "this" },
    { "@id": "oewn:01645077-a", "form": "new" },
    { "@id": "oewn:09449666-n", "form": "sea" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L3227", "form": "because" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2998", "form": "there" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L1883", "form": "is" },
    { "@id": "oewn:00023451-n", "form": "knowledge" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2985", "form": "to" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L1883", "form": "be" },
    { "@id": "oewn:02297086-v", "form": "gained" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L1385", "form": "and" },
    { "@id": "oewn:05182180-n", "form": "rights" },
    { "@id": "oewn:02293158-v", "form": "won" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L371", "form": "they" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L1892", "form": "must" },
    { "@id": "oewn:01161188-v", "form": "used" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2989", "form": "for" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2768", "form": "the" },
    { "@id": "oewn:00250368-n", "form": "progress" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2986", "form": "of" },
    { "@id": "wikidata:L2996", "form": "all" },
    { "@id": "oewn:07958392-n", "form": "people" }
  ]
}

Hover a bar to see the constituent it covers. space and aims are the same discourse referents marked {#space} and {#aims} in the markup.

    Example · ce-tree · constituency

    Back to Canonical English