Method and system for retrieving hint sentences using expanded queries

1. A method of providing to a user sentences from a sentence database in response to a query, the method comprising:

receiving the query having terms;

expanding the query by including synonyms of the terms to obtain expanded terms;

combining the expanded terms to form a plurality of dependency triples from the expanded terms;

discarding dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which are not found in a dependency triples database to obtain remaining dependency triples from the expanded terms; and

automatically searching the sentence database, using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters, without presenting the remaining dependency triples to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining the expanded terms to form the plurality of dependency triples further comprises combining the expanded terms to form all possible dependency triples from the expanded terms.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein expanding the query by including synonyms of the terms to obtain expanded terms further comprises adding synonyms of at least some of the terms of the query.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein adding synonyms of at least some of the terms of the query further comprises adding the synonyms to the terms of the query such that the expanded terms include the synonyms and the terms of the query.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein discarding dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which are not found in a dependency triples database to obtain the remaining dependency triples from the expanded terms further comprises:

searching the dependency triples database for matches with each of the plurality of dependency triples;

determining which of the dependency triples do not have a match in the dependency triples database; and

discarding dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which do not have a match in the dependency triples database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically searching the sentence database using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters further comprises automatically retrieving hint sentences from the sentence database, using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters, without presenting the remaining dependenecy triples to the user.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving the query having terms;

expanding the query by including synonyms of the terms to obtain expanded terms;

combining the expanded terms to form a plurality of dependency triples from the expanded terms;

discarding dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which are not found in a dependency triples database to obtain remaining dependency triples from the expanded terms; and

automatically searching the sentence database, using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters, without presenting the remaining dependency triples to a user.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein combining the expanded terms to form the plurality of dependency triples further comprises combining the expanded terms to form all possible dependency triples from the expanded terms.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein expanding the query by including synonyms of the terms to obtain expanded terms further comprises adding synonyms of at least some of the terms of the query.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein adding synonyms of at least some of the terms of the query further comprises adding the synonyms to the terms of the query such that the expanded terms include the synonyms and the terms of the query.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein discarding dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which are not found in a dependency triples database to obtain the remaining dependency triples from the expanded terms further comprises:

searching the dependency triples database for matches with each of the plurality of dependency triples;

determining which of the dependency triples do not have a match in the dependency triples database; and

discarding dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which do not have a match in the dependency triples database.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein automatically searching the sentence database using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters further comprises automatically retrieving hint sentences from the sentence database, using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters, without presenting the remaining dependency triples to the user.

13. A system for retrieving sentences from a sentence database in response to a query having terms, the system comprising:

an input component which receives the query as an input;

a dependency triples database; and

a search engine coupled to the input component and the dependency triples database, the search engine configured to expand the query by including synonyms of the terms to obtain expanded terms, to combine the expanded terms to form a plurality of dependency triples from the expanded terms, to discard dependency triples, from the plurality of dependency triples, which are not found in the dependency triples database to obtain remaining dependency triples from the expanded terms, and to automatically search the sentence database using, the remaining dependency triples as search parameters, without presenting the remaining dependency triples to a user for approval.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the search engine is configured to automatically retrieve hint sentences for the query from the sentence database, using the remaining dependency triples as search parameters, without presenting the remaining dependency triples to the user for approval.