Many sentence processing studies focus on either syntactic or semantic processing. By contrast, although the temporal traits of sentence processing, such as the rate limit of sentence processing, are an important issue, little is known about its mechanism. In this paper, we review studies on the temporal traits of sentence processing in terms of both reading and experimental methods. First, we introduce the differences in reading performance between different reading methods (silent and oral reading). Silent reading reflects a natural method of reading and has been well studied. Next, we assessed experimental methods for examining the underlying mechanisms of silent reading. An experimenter-paced experiment was employed, that includes RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation), since it is easy to use and suitable for examining temporal traits. By reviewing various studies, we define the relevant parameters using an experimenter-paced method. The experimenter-paced reading method can measure the minimum processing time of a word and the syntactic processing that constitutes the sentence processing mechanisms. It also can examine the detailed temporal traits of sentence processing by fitting the data to the functions of processing speeds and responses.
