Ambiguity- need a quick response

[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.

 

[Mad-ox]

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

 

[Amigos4]

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

 

[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.

 

[Mad-ox]

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.

 

[CroCorwin]

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.

 

[MrPedantic]

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

 

[Dr. Jamshid Ibrahim]

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

 

[mykwyner]

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.