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Old 15-Feb-2004, 13:19
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Default adverb

Is this sentence ambiguous:
1-I knocked him down on my bike.

Was he on the bike and I hit him and he fell off or was I on the bike and he on foot and I ran into him and knocked him down?
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Old 15-Feb-2004, 20:44
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You were on the bike. If not, you would have knocked him 'off'.
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Old 15-Feb-2004, 23:16
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The sentence is ambiguous. Say: "While I was riding my bike I ran into him and knocked him down."

:)
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Old 15-Feb-2004, 23:46
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Default Re: adverb

Quote:
Originally Posted by navi
Is this sentence ambiguous:
1-I knocked him down on my bike.

Was he on the bike and I hit him and he fell off or was I on the bike and he on foot and I ran into him and knocked him down?
It is a bit ambiguous. I would read that sentence to mean that you were both on foot. You knocked him down and he fell on your bike. If you were on your bike and you knocked him down, I would expect either:

I knocked him down with my bike.

or

I knocked him down while I was on my bike.

I f he were on your bike, I would expect "I knocked him off my bike."
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