[stephengillie]

Could this situation be described by nesting sentences?

  "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)."

To extend your example:

  formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object="Noriko")
  "Taro saw Noriko."

  formal(present(kiru))(topic="Noriko", object="doresu") 
  "Noriko wears a dress."

Nested:

  formal(past(miru))(topic="Taro", object=(formal(present(kiru))(topic="Noriko", object="doresu")) )

  "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)."
  "Taro saw Noriko wear a dress."

  "Taro wa (doresu wo kiru Noriko wa(?)) wo mimashita"
  "Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita"

Does that make sense?

*Please help correct any errors, as I have never formally studied the Japanese language.

[mcaruso]

It wouldn't type-check, since `object` is expected to be a noun and not a verb. :)

[stephengillie]

It's a difficulty inherent in describing one unfamiliar language with another unfamiliar language. :)

This could work in Powershell. The function would have to be written to expect nested recursive calls, to remove the omitted particle.

  Construct-Sentence -verb miru -Formal -Past -Topic Taro -Object (
  Construct-Sentence -verb kiru -Formal -Present -Topic Noriko -Object doresu
  )

  "Taro saw (Noriko wears a dress)."
  "Taro saw Noriko wear a dress."

  "Taro wa (doresu wo kiru Noriko wa(?)) wo mimashita"
  "Taro wa doresu wo kiru Noriko wo mimashita"