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29-Dec-2007, 16:34
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| |  Ambiguity- need a quick response
If anyone can help me quickly, I would be very grateful.
Can someone explai to me what is the ambiguity in the sentence: I didn't meet his sister yesterday. |
29-Dec-2007, 18:26
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
Quote:
Originally Posted by CroCorwin  If anyone can help me quickly, I would be very grateful.
Can someone explai to me what is the ambiguity in the sentence: I didn't meet his sister yesterday. | hi Crocowin,
Ambiguity means something that is not clear because it has more than one possible meaning or lack of clear and exact use of words.
I didn't meet his sister yesterday. This sentence has no ambiguity. It seems correct and clear.
Madox |
29-Dec-2007, 18:36
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
Quote:
Originally Posted by CroCorwin If anyone can help me quickly, I would be very grateful.
Can someone explai to me what is the ambiguity in the sentence: I didn't meet his sister yesterday. | The sentence is clear to me, CroCorwin. What makes you think it might be ambiguous?
Cheers,
Amigos4 |
29-Dec-2007, 20:25
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
My professor of English Linguistics gave the sentence, among many others, in an assignment to explain what is the ambiguity of the sentences, so I guess there really is an ambiguity. |
29-Dec-2007, 20:58
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
Quote:
Originally Posted by CroCorwin My professor of English Linguistics gave the sentence, among many others, in an assignment to explain what is the ambiguity of the sentences, so I guess there really is an ambiguity. | Is this sentence from an exerpt, an article or paragraph?
If your teacher gave you more sentences, then please write us a sentence that you found that has ambiguity. |
29-Dec-2007, 21:10
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
It is just a list of sentences without relations between them. I understand the ambiguity in the rest of them:
Old men and women
All that glitters is not gold
Flying planes can be dangerous
John walked the dog in his underwear
He called her a nurse
and the one I couldn't understand. Btw the time for handing in the assignment has just expired so I don't require any more explanations, I just put the ambiguity comes from more that one meaning of the verb. |
29-Dec-2007, 21:35
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
Perhaps (e.g.):
1. I didn't meet his sister yesterday. (I met his brother.)
2. I didn't meet his sister yesterday. (I met her a week ago.)
3. I didn't meet his sister yesterday. (I've never met his sister.)
MrP
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29-Dec-2007, 21:47
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
In addition to what MrP said the verb meet itself can be ambiguous:
1. meet: see the first time
2. meet: see again
Ambiguity is what makes language superior |
29-Dec-2007, 22:00
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| | Re: Ambiguity- need a quick response
O.K. let's wear it out.
1. I wasn't introduced to his sister yesterday.
2. I did not arrive at the arranged time to see his sister [again] yesterday. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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