Computer-based generation of natural language requires consideration of two different types of problems: i) determining the content and textual shape of what is to be said, and 2) transforming that message into English. A computational solution to the problems of deciding what to say and how to organize it effectively is proposed that relies on an interaction between structural and semantic processes. Schemas, which encode aspects of discourse structure, are used to guide the generation process. A focusing mechanism monitors the use of t h e schemas, providing constraints on what can be said at any point. .
