Answering English questions by Computer: A Survey Fifteen experimental English language question-answering systems which are programmed and operating are described and reviewed. The systems range from a conversation machine to programs which make sentences about pictures and systems which translate from English into logical calculi. Systems are classified as list-structured data-based, graphic data-based, text-based and inferential. Principles and methods of operations are detailed and discussed. It is concluded that the data-base question-answer has passed from initial research into the early developmental phase. The most difficult and important research questions for the advancement of general-purpose language processors are seen to be concerned with measuring, dealing with ambiguities, translating into formal languages and searching large tree structures. CACM January, 1965 Simmons, R. F. CA650113 JB March 8, 1978 2:21 PM 1324 4 1324 1324 4 1324 1324 4 1324 892 4 1324 931 4 1324 1155 5 1324 1324 5 1324 1324 5 1324 1324 5 1324 1456 5 1324 1468 5 1324 1515 5 1324 1699 5 1324 1856 5 1324 2127 5 1324 634 5 1324 652 5 1324 653 5 1324 1155 6 1324 1155 6 1324 1194 6 1324 1225 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1324 6 1324 1487 6 1324 1527 6 1324 1553 6 1324 1681 6 1324 1781 6 1324 1856 6 1324