Abstract: A deep structure is received. A multistage, surface structure, generation process is used to determine one or more concepts, phrases, and words from the deep structure.

Abstract: A computer program product for controlling the computer's processor to perform responsive actions a natural language input has: (1) vocabulary, phrase and concept databases of words, phrase and concepts, respectively, that can be recognized in the inputted communication, wherein each of these database elements is representable by a designated semantic symbol, (2) means for searching the inputted communication to identify the words in the communication that are contained within the vocabulary database, (3) means for expressing the communication in terms of the word semantic symbols that correspond to each of the words identified in the inputted communication, (4) means for searching the communication when expressed in terms of its corresponding word semantic symbols so as to identify the phrases in the communication that are contained within the phrase database, (5) means for expressing the communication in terms of the phrase semantic symbols that correspond to each of the phrases identified in the communicat