Ambiguity and Transformations Deny A. Kwary http://www.kwary.net Airlangga University Ambiguity and Transformations
Ambiguity: a word, phrase or sentence with multiple meanings (p. 122) Synthetic buffalo hides (NP) Synthetic buffalo hides (NP) Synthetic buffalo hides Synthetic buffalo hides Buffalo hides that are synthetic. Hides of synthetic buffalo.
Ambiguities often lead to humorous results For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers. what does “thick legs and large drawers” refer to? The desk or the lady?
Structural Ambiguity (pp Structural Ambiguity (pp.143-144) The boy saw the man with the telescope S NP Aux VP Det N V NP PP Det N P NP Det N The boy past saw the man with the telescope
Structural Ambiguity (pp Structural Ambiguity (pp.143-144) The boy saw the man with the telescope S NP Aux VP Det NP N V Det N PP P NP Det N The boy past saw the man with the telescope
Exercise # 4 p.166
Consider the following sentences: Susie had a shower after she got up. After she got up, Susie had a shower. After Susie got up, she had a shower. She had a shower after Susie got up. Do the four sentences above contain the same words? Yes, they do In which sentences can the pronoun ‘she’ probably refer to Susie? Sentences #1, 2, & 3 The rule: An anaphor many not both precede and command its antecedents
What does it mean? Jan and Larry drank whisky and sherry with respect. Jan and Larry drank whisky and sherry, respectively Jan and Larry drank whisky and sherry with respect. Jan drank whisky and Larry drank sherry.
Transformation: A special type of rule that can move an element from one position to another Several types of transformations Declarative – Interrogative Active – Passive There sentences PP preposing
Declarative – Interrogative Move the auxiliary to the left of the subject. The boy will leave. S Will the boy leave? S NP Aux VP Aux NP VP Det N V Det N V The boy will leave Will the boy leave The deep structure The surface structure
The Wh Movement S NP Aux VP Det NP N V Det N The man should repair Surface structure: Which car should the man repair? Deep structure: S NP Aux VP Det NP N V Det N The man should repair which car
Draw the deep structure of the following sentences Will the boss hire Hillary? Is that player leaving the team? Who should the director call? What is Joanne eating?
The syntactic rules in a grammar account for at least: The grammaticality of sentences Word order Hierarchical organisation of sentences Grammatical relations such as subject and object Whether different structures have different meanings or the same meaning The creative aspect of language
That’s All For Today See You Next Week Deny A. Kwary http://www.kwary.net Airlangga University That’s All For Today See You Next Week