++ 'Soy estudiante.'     I'm a student.
++ 'Andrés está aburrido.'      Andres is bored.
++ 'He comido bastante.'      I have eaten enough.
++ 'Acabo de llegar.'     I've just arrived.
++ 'Hoy me levantEe tarde.'      Today I got up late.
++ 'Lo recibí el martes pasado.'        I received it last Tuesday.
++ 'Vive aqui desde hace dos años.'      He's been living here for two years.
++ 'Vivíamos en Toledo.'       We lived/used to live in Toledo.
++ 'La reunión ya había empezado cuando ....'       The meeting had already started when ....

The seven semantic dimensions were introduced in Section 2a. Again, they are MENTAL, REALITY, VALUE JUDGMENT, OBLIGATION, TENSE, CERTAINTY, and JOKE-SARCASM.
At this point, we only tag semantic features on statements, not on control acts, on questions, etc. The only exception is that backchannels may be marked as showing positive or negative attitude.

-> A statement can have one or several of the semantic features. A statement may have no tagged semantic features, one tagged feature or several tagged features. If a statement expresses something in the future, tag it with the future label; if it expresses future and obligation, tag both future and obligation. When you need to tag with several semantic features, add them alphabetically, e.g. s^fut^hyp.

A brief summary of each semantic feature follows. The rest of the statement section contains examples and descriptive details to help you determine the semantic features of any statement.

MENTAL: Speaker expresses an emotional state or psychological state; TAG expressed emotion, psychological states, wants, wishes, desires, preferences. Only tag if statement regards speaker's OWN emotions, etc., not information about other people's emotions etc.
++ 'I'm so mad at him.' -> s^me

REALITY: Speaker expresses a hypothetical claim; TAG expressed hypothetic statements, both "if" and "then."
++ 'I would have gone with him if I had known.' -> s^hyp

VALUE JUDGMENT/ATTITUDE: Speaker expresses attitude or makes value statement about state, situation or other people; TAG expressed positive or negative attitude.
++ 'She is so obnoxious.' -> s^val-
++ 'She is so wonderful.' -> s^val+

OBLIGATION: Speaker expresses an obligation involving self; TAG expressed obligation.
++ 'Tengo que trabajar.' -> s^obl

TENSE: Speaker makes statement about something that has not yet happened, TAG Future/not happened
++ 'He's coming back tomorrow.' -> s^fut

CERTAINTY: Speaker expresses certainty or uncertainty about the statement, TAG expressed certainty or doubt/uncertainty.
++ 'I'm not sure he's back yet.' -> s^cert-
++ 'I'm positive he's back.' -> s^cert+

JOKE/SARCASM: Speaker makes a joke or sarcastic comment, TAG joke/sarcasm.
++ 'You're going to love this.' (when speaker expects hearer will hate it) -> s^jk

s      plain statement of information

s^me   MENTAL

-> Tag as s^me statements or responses to questions about speaker's wants, preferences, likes, etc. Clues for preferences, likes, wants include the verbs preferir (prefer), querer (want), desear (wish), quisiera (would like), gustar (like), encantar (love), agradar (like).
++ Quiero manzanas.      I want some apples.
++ Prefiero ésta.       I prefer this one.
++ Queremos una habitación.       We want a room.
++ Quisiera hablar con Ud..       I'd like to speak to you.
++ Deseo estar solo.       I wish to be alone.
++ Nos gusta nadar.       We like to swim.
++ No me gusta el fútbol.       I don't like football.
++ Me encanta tomar el sol.       I love to sunbathe.
++ No nos agrada.       We don't like it.

-> Tag wishes, wants, and desires as indirect ACTION REQUESTS when their main intent is to get some action response from the hearer or when the speaker clearly knows that the hearer is capable of fulfilling the wish, etc.
NOT:  Prefiero que no le digas nada.       I'd prefer you not to tell him anything.
NOT:  Me gustaría que tú hablaras con ella.      I'd like you to speak to her.

-> Tag as s^me if the speaker indicates what his/her emotional state or reaction or feeling is. Look for cues of statements about fears, worries, hopes, regrets, sadness, happiness, annoyance, etc.
++ Temo que no regresen.       I fear that they may not come back.
++ Espero que ellos hablen español.       I hope they speak Spanish.
++ Siento que no podamos aceptar la invitación.       I'm sorry we can't accept the invitation.
++ Nos alegramos de que ellos estén aqui.       We're glad they're here.
++ Me molesta que no trabajes.       It annoys me that you don't work.

-> Strong cues for emotion come from a set of expressions that include the following:
alegrarse (to be glad), escandalizarse (be shocked), esperar (to hope), importar (to mind), horrorizarse (be shocked), indignarse (be outraged), molestarse (be annoyed), sentir (be sorry), sorprenderse (be surprised), temer (to fear), es una lástima (it's a pity), es una pena (it's a pity), es una vergüenza (it's a shame), ¡qué pena ...! (what a pity!), ¡qué lástima ...! (what a pity!), ¡qué vergüenza ...! (what a shame!), ¡qué rabia ...! (what a nuisance!).
++ Me sorprende que digas eso.       I'm surprised you say that.
++ No me importa que él se marche.       I don't mind if he leaves.

-> Note from some of these expressions that the speaker might not be using a 1st person form, but instead an impersonal form to express his/her emotion &shyp; it is still an emotion statement and should be tagged with s^me:
++ Es una vergüenza que hagas esto.       It's a shame you did that.
++ ¡Qué rabia que él no hable español!       What a nuisance that he doesn't speak Spanish!
++ Sería una lástima que no le encontrármos.       It would be a pity if we didn't find him. (this is also HYPOTHETICAL)

-> Only tag emotions, preferences, likes, wants on the part of the speaker as s^me, not statements about other people's emotions. The latter are simple s statements.
NOT: Ella espera que él responda su carta.       She hopes that he answers her letter
NOT: ¿Qué quieres?       What do you want?
NOT: Quieren un coche.      They want a car.

-> Tense is irrelevant: a statement with any of the qualities covered in this section should be tagged as s^me regardless of the tense it is in.

s^hyp  REALITY/HYPOTHETICALS

->  Cues include conditional si (if), en caso de (in case), a menos que (unless), con tal (de) que (as long as), por si (in case), por si acaso (just in case); subjunctive.
++ En caso de que llegue dile que me espere.       In case he arrives tell him to wait.
++ Sería una lástima que no le encontrármos.       It would be a pity if we didn't find him. (this is also EMOTIONAL)
++ Yo no sabría qué hacer.       I wouldn't know what to do. (implied "If X")
++ Si tengo tiempo iré.       If I have time I'll go.
++ Si hubiera tenido tiempo habría ido.       If I'd had time, I'd have gone.
++ He comprado más carne por si José viene a cenar.       I've bought more meat in case José comes to dinner

-> Since TENSE is tagged separately, it is not enough for something to not have taken place yet to receive a HYPOTHETICAL label - the statement must express some aspect of "possible or alternative universe." A statement will have both labels in many hypothetical cases, since they often involve things that have not yet occurred but might at some future time, e.g. "If I have the time, I'll go." A past hypothetical would not be marked for tense (since the possibility of the hypothetical situation to occur has passed), e.g. "Had I been there, I would have done it."

s^val  VALUE JUDGMENT/ATTITUDE
s^val+ positive value judgment statement
s^val- negative value judgment statement

-> The verbs pensar (think), parecer (think, seem), creer (think), opinar (think), considerar (think) may be cues for value judgment, but often the speaker would make the same statement (with the same meaning) without the explicit use of one of these phrases.
++ Pienso que es Ud. muy amable.       I think you're very kind. s^val+
++ Considero que es un tonto.       I think he's a fool. s^val-
++ Es un tonto.       He's a fool. s^val-
The last two statements are both negative value judgment statements though in one the speaker explicitly states "I think" and in the other one the speaker doesn't.

-> ser (denoting someone's nature or permanent characteristics) or estar (denoting a temporary state) can both be in value judgment statements:
++ Roberto es simpático.       Roberto is nice.
++ Jorge está simpático.       Jorge is nice (right now)

-> Intensifiers can be clues about value judgment statements: muy (very), demasiado (too), bastante (quite):
++ Es muy barato.       That's very cheap.
++ Él es bastante raro.       He's quite strange.

-> Descriptive adjectives (and their word order placement) can be clues for value judgment statements: bueno (good), raro (strange), malo (bad). Comparative and superlative adjectives can also be clues: mejor (better), peor (worse).
++ Es una buena idea.       It's a good idea.

-> Intensive forms (-ísimo/-ísima) can be clues for value judgment statements:
++ La comida está sabrosísima.       The food is very tasty.

-> When gossiping, the attitude may be negative when giving information or retelling what others did or said. Look for adjectives and tone of voice as cues.

-> Do not tag explicit opinion in any special manner. Opinions may contain some features that results in tagging MENTAL or ATTITUDE or DOUBT, but we do not explicitly tag opinion as a separate category since it is often difficult to determine whether a phrase is an opinion or not. The expressions a mi parecer (in my opinion), a mi juicio (in my opinion), and en mi opinión (in my opinion) are therefore not cues for special tagging. Instead, look at the meaning of the rest of the sentence - it may be an attitude statement (Example [1] below) or something else, such as an obligation (Example [2]):
++ (1) En mi opinión, la comida está sabrosísima.       In my opinion, the food is very tasty.
++ (2) En mi opinión, es necesario vender todo.       In my opinion, it's necessary to sell everything.

s^obl  OBLIGATION

-> Some verbs can be clues for obligation: tener que (to have to), necesitar (to need), deber (must, have to), hacer falta (to be necessary), ser necesario (to be necessary).
++ Tengo que salir.       I have to go out.
++ Necesito estudiar más.       I have to study more.
++ Debo leer ese libro.       I must read that book.
++ Tenemos que ir al banco.       We have to go to the bank.
++ Debemos esperar.       We must wait.
++ Es necesario hablar con ella.       It's necessary to speak to her.

-> Only tag obligation if it involves the speaker, i.e. 1st person singular or plural, not impersonal (unless it really refers to a 1st person form) or 2nd/3rd person. What looks like obligations directed at the hearer is probably a control act (action request).
NOT:  Pablo tiene que volver.       Pablo has to return.
NOT:  Tú debes estar aquí a las 6.00.       You must be here at 6:00.
NOT:  Hay que hacer un esfuerzo.       One has to make an effort.

-> Only tag need if it implies obligation:
NOT:  Necesito dinero.       I need money. (not obligation for action)

-> Tag both positive obligation (i.e. obligation to do something) and narrow scope negative obligation (i.e. obligation to not do something) as s^obl. Do not tag wide-scope negation of obligation (i.e. no obligation to do something) at this point:
++ Es necesario hablar con ella.       It's necessary to speak to her. (positive)
++ Es necesario no hablar con ella.       It's necessary not to speak to her. (narrow neg.)
NOT:  No es necesario hablar con ella.       It's not necessary to speak to her. (wide neg.)

s^fut  FUTURE TENSE

-> Cues for future tense include time phrases, 'ir a' + infinitive construction, future tense, present tense with a future meaning, and pensar refering to plans.
++ Salimos mañana.       We leave tomorrow.
++ Voy a comprar una casa.       I'm going to buy a house.
++ Viajaré en coche.       I'll travel by car.
++ Va a salir a cenar.       He's going out for dinner.
++ Saldré con Ana.       I'll go out with Ana.
++ Pensamos casarnos.       We're thinking of getting married.

-> Future tense can be used in promises and commands. Unless the speaker is explicitly making a promise about the future (e.g. "I promise I'll do it tomorrow"), treat it as present tense/on-going since the implication is that the action starts with the spoken promise.
NOT:  No se lo contaré.       I won't tell him

-> Don't tag tense on current or past actions, including descriptions of present tense states or events, "timeless" ideas, continuous present, states that began in the past and is continuing in the present.
NOT:  Ella está enferma.       She's ill.
NOT:  No me gusta.       I don't like it.
NOT:  Escribo una carta.       I'm writing a letter.
NOT:  Llevamos tres horas esperando.       We've been waiting for three hours.

-> Don't tag tense on habitual actions. Clues for habituality can be certain verb forms (soler, acostumbrar a, be in the habit of) and adverbs (generalmente, usually, normalmente, normally, usualment, usually, a menudo, often, siempre, always, nunca, never, todos los días, every day, cada día, every day).
NOT:  Me levanto tarde.       I get up late.
NOT:  Suelo comer en un restaurante.       I usually read a lot.
NOT:  Acostumbramos a quedarnos en casa.       We usually stay at home.
NOT:  Ella nunca sale de noche.       She never goes out at night.

-> Cues for past tense are present/past perfect, time adverbs, 'hace', historic present, imperfect tense, pluperfect tense.

-> Since you want to tag meaning rather than form, remember that a present tense form could actually imply future tense and should therefore be tagged as s^fut.

s^cert  CERTAINTY
s^cert+ explicit certainty
s^cert- doubt/uncertainty

-> Although choice of expression and context may be cues to doubt, the easiest way to identify such a statement is to listen to any candidate statements. The speaker usually indicates doubt (and certainty) with prosody: doubt is indicated by stressing and drawing out and raising pitch, especially on the verb suggesting doubt.

-> The verbs poder (can, may, be able to), dudar (doubt), creer (think, believe) can be clues for uncertainty, as can some expressions like quiza (perhaps), tal vez (perhaps), a lo mejor (perhaps).

++ Puede estar en casa.       He/she may be at home.
++ Creo que sí.       I think so.
++ Creo que está bien.       It seems right./I think it's right.
++ Quizá John hable con él mañana.       Perhaps John will speak to him tomorrow.
++ A lo mejor llegan esta tarde.       Perhaps they arrive this afternoon.

-> Not knowing (not having the ability) is different from uncertainty and should not be tagged as doubt:
NOT:  No sé cocinar.       I don't know how to cook.

-> The verb parecer (seem) can be a cue for uncertainty, as in "He seems to have left". An argument can be made that "seems" indicates some degree of uncertainty (otherwise "is" would be used).

-> Parecer (seem) can also indicate value judgment:
++ Me parece una ciudad muy bonita.       It seems like a very nice city. -> s^val+

-> Think 'creer' can have several meanings and can therefore be tagged in different ways. Be careful to establish the main intent of the speaker. The same lexical structure may have different meanings depending on context and intonation. It is most likely that phrases with 'creer' will be either uncertainty statements or simple statements. Tag as uncertainty if intonation and/or context suggests the speaker is uncertain about the facts he/she is providing. Tag as a simple statement 'I think' is only thrown in as an expression and does not actually mean anything.

• hedge 'I THINK so, but...', 'in my opinion...' -> hedge h
• uncertainty -> doubt s^cert-
• opinion "I think" without value judgment -> simple statement s (not s^me)
• 'creer' + value judgment -> attitude s^val- or s^val+
• 'creer' + obligation statement -> s^obl

-> Seem 'parecer' can have several meanings and can therefore be tagged in different ways. Be careful to establish the main intent of the speaker. The same lexical structure may have different meanings depending on context and intonation. It is most likely that phrases with 'parecer' will be either uncertainty statements or simple statements. Tag as uncertainty if intonation and/or context suggests the speaker is uncertain about the facts he/she is providing. Tag as a simple statement 'It seems' is only thrown in as an expression and does not actually mean anything.

• resemblance -> doubt or simple statement s^cert- or s
• 'parecer' + value judgment -> attitude s^val- or s^val+
• 'parecer' without value judgment -> simple statement s
• hedge "it SEEMS so, but" -> hedge h
• uncertainty -> doubt s^cert-

s^jk   JOKING/SARCASTIC statement

-> Pay special attention to the prosody and intonation of a statement to determine whether to tag it as s^jk. Intonation often is the only clue that the statement should be taken to mean the opposite from the lexical structure of the statement.