Temporal annotation involves identifying time expressions (TIMEX) in text, normalizing them to standard formats, and annotating temporal relations between events.
TIMEX (Temporal Expression): A word or phrase that refers to a point in time, duration, or frequency.
Temporal Relation: How two events or times relate (before, after, during, etc.).
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| DATE | Calendar date or period | "January 15, 2024", "last week" |
| TIME | Time of day | "3:30 PM", "noon" |
| DURATION | Length of time | "two hours", "for months" |
| SET | Recurring time | "every Tuesday", "annually" |
The meeting scheduled for [next Monday] has been postponed. We will reconvene [in two weeks], specifically on [February 12th]. The original [three-hour] session will be shortened to [90 minutes].
Classify each highlighted expression:
| Expression | Type |
|---|---|
| "next Monday" | |
| "in two weeks" | |
| "February 12th" | |
| "three-hour" | |
| "90 minutes" |
Temporal expressions must be normalized to a standard format (ISO 8601) for processing.
Document Creation Time (DCT): The reference point for relative expressions. Assume DCT = 2024-01-29 for this worksheet.
Normalize these expressions (DCT = January 29, 2024, Monday):
| Expression | Normalized Value |
|---|---|
| "yesterday" | |
| "next Friday" | |
| "last summer" | |
| "three days ago" | |
| "the 90s" |
"The project started [in March] and was completed [six months later]."
What year does "in March" refer to? (DCT = January 29, 2024)
Events and times can be related temporally. Common relations include:
| Relation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| BEFORE | A ends before B starts | "He left before she arrived" |
| AFTER | A starts after B ends | "She arrived after he left" |
| DURING | A occurs within B's span | "It rained during the game" |
| OVERLAP | A and B share some time | "While cooking, I listened to music" |
| SIMULTANEOUS | A and B at same time | "The explosion and flash were simultaneous" |
"[John arrived] at the office at [9 AM]. [The meeting started] at [10 AM]. [He was still preparing] when [the CEO walked in]."
Identify the temporal relations:
| Event A | Event B | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| John arrived | Meeting started | |
| He was preparing | CEO walked in |
"The company was founded [two decades before] the CEO was born. She joined the firm [in her twenties] and became CEO [after 15 years]. [Last year], the company celebrated its [50th anniversary]."
Can you determine when the company was founded? (DCT = 2024)
How old is the CEO approximately?
The earthquake struck at 3:42 AM on Tuesday. Within hours, rescue teams were deployed. By the end of the week, over 500 survivors had been found. The recovery effort is expected to continue for several months. Officials said that in the past decade, this was the strongest earthquake to hit the region since the devastating 1995 event.
List all temporal expressions in the passage and classify them:
What makes "the past decade" difficult to normalize?
Compare your annotations with your group. Where did you disagree?
Why is temporal annotation difficult?
Time in language is often relative, vague, and context-dependent.