8. The method of claim 5 wherein identifying an item comprises identifying a token that represents other tokens.
5. A method of parsing text to form a parse tree of the text, the method comprising: selecting a word from the text; a processor forming a partial parse for a token based on the selected word; a processor examining the partial parse to identify an item that is needed to extend the partial parse for the token, the partial parse for the token identifying the token and items that form the token, the items that form the token comprising the item needed to extend the partial parse for the token; a processor placing a pointer to the partial parse for the token in a table assigned to a next word in the text, such that the pointer may be located from the item that is needed to extend the partial parse for the token; a processor selecting the next word from the text; a processor creating the item based in part on the next word; a processor using the item to locate the pointer to the partial parse for the token that can be extended by the item; a processor using the pointer to locate the partial parse for the token; a processor extending the partial parse for the token based on the item to form the token in the parse tree of the text.