Worksheet: Dialogue Act Classification

Background

Dialogue act classification identifies the communicative function of each utterance in a conversation. This is crucial for dialogue systems, chatbots, and conversational AI.

Dialogue Act (Speech Act): The action a speaker performs through their utterance, beyond the literal meaning of the words.

Key Insight: "Can you pass the salt?" is literally a question but functions as a request.

Common Dialogue Act Categories

Act	Description	Example
Statement	Asserting information	"The meeting starts at 3pm."
Question	Requesting information	"What time is the meeting?"
Request	Asking someone to do something	"Please send me the report."
Promise	Committing to future action	"I'll send it by tomorrow."
Acknowledgment	Confirming understanding	"Okay, got it."
Greeting	Social opening/closing	"Hi, how are you?"

Part 1: Basic Classification

Classify each utterance with its primary dialogue act.

Customer:

"Hello, I need help with my order."

Greeting Request Statement Greeting + Request (multi-act)

Agent:

"Of course! Can you provide your order number?"

Question Request Acknowledgment + Question Acknowledgment + Request

Question 1

Should "Can you provide your order number?" be classified as a question or a request?

Part 2: Indirect Speech Acts

Sometimes the form doesn't match the function.

Person A:

"It's cold in here."

Statement (just observing) Request (close the window) Complaint Ambiguous (context-dependent)

Manager:

"I see the report isn't finished yet."

Statement Indirect Request Criticism Implicit Question

Question 2

Should annotation capture the literal form or the intended function?

Literal form only Intended function only Both, with separate labels Depends on application context

What are the tradeoffs?

Part 3: Multi-Functional Utterances

Friend:

"Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely try that. Do you think it will work for my situation though?"

Question 3

This utterance performs multiple acts. Identify all that apply:

Thanking Promise/Commitment Question Expressing doubt Request for reassurance

How should multi-functional utterances be annotated?

Part 4: Context Dependence

The same words can have different functions in different contexts.

Context A: At a restaurant

Diner:

"Could I have some water?"

Question Request

Context B: In the desert, lost

Person:

"Could I have some water?"

Question Request Desperate plea

Question 4

How much context should annotators have access to?

Part 5: Annotate a Full Dialogue

A:

"Hey, are you busy right now?"

B:

"Not really, what's up?"

A:

"Could you help me move this weekend?"

B:

"Hmm, I might have plans. What time were you thinking?"

A:

"Saturday afternoon, around 2?"

B:

"Yeah, I can make that work. I'll be there."

Question 5

What was the hardest utterance to classify? Why?

Part 6: Group Discussion

Question 6

Compare your annotations with your group. Where did you disagree?

Indirect speech acts Multi-functional utterances Act granularity Utterance boundaries Context interpretation

Describe one specific disagreement:

Part 7: Reflection

Question 7

Why is dialogue act classification difficult?

Indirect speech acts are common Utterances often have multiple functions Context is needed for interpretation No universal taxonomy exists Cultural variation in speech acts All of the above

Key Takeaway

Dialogue acts bridge form and function—what we say vs. what we do with words.

The same form can serve many functions; the same function can take many forms
Annotation requires deciding whether to capture literal or intended meaning
Context and common ground are essential for interpretation
Dialogue act taxonomies are application-specific choices, not natural categories