> John,
>
> There are multiple issues about the background knowledge necessary
> for interpreting natural language in context and about the logical
> operators for combining various sentences.
>
> JB> I'm confused by the sentences and by John's combination.
> > The use of "the" as the declarative indicates to me that
> > there is one water fountain. I assume (abduction) that they
> > are going to drink or that Wanda is going to hold the faucet
> > while Paul drinks, or vice versa.
>
> Given just those two sentences, deduction alone cannot add
> new information about which if any of them actually drink
> water or hold the faucet or anything else:
>
> RC> 1. Paul goes to the water fountain;
> >>
> >> 2. Wanda goes to the water fountain;
>
> The only combination that can be derived by strict deduction
> is the conjunction of #1 and #2. Other sentences can be
> derived by generalizing (i.e., throwing away some information):
>
> Someone goes to the water fountain.
>
> Someone goes to a water fountain.
>
> Someone goes somewhere.
>
> There is a person.
>
> There is a water fountain.
>
> You can't even derive the sentence "Two people went to the
> water fountain" unless you have additional information that
> Paul and Wanda are names of two distinct individuals.  (01) 
Nor that the fountain is the one and same fountain.  (02)
Cheers,
 Rob
***********  (03)
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