Exercise Different types of ambiguity

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Different types of ambiguity

The following material is an adapted form of material created by student participants of the project e-Learning Resources for Semantics (e-LRS).
Involved participants: Nicki, Marc M, Leo, Anna Böcher, Lorena

Phrases and sentences as a whole can have more than one meaning. How is this form of ambiguity called?

Scope Ambiguity
Lexical Ambiguity
Structural Ambiguity


2. Which two meanings does the following sentence contain? Paraphrase them.
We need more intelligent administrators.

Check your solutions here

We need more intelligent administrators.

Here we have a case of structural ambiguity, i.e. the ambiguity arises on the sentence level.
There are two different ways how this sentence can be read:
Possibility 1:
We have enough administrators, but they are not bright enough and need to become more intelligent.
Here, more is used as a comparative particle. So, more intelligent forms one constituent.
Possibility 2:
We do not have enough administrators and need more administrators who are intelligent.

In this case, more is used as a determiner. Thus, it combines with the phrase intelligent administrators.


3. Think of an ambiguous phrase or sentence on your own and explain its ambiguity.

Check your solutions here

As you should already have learned: Many jokes and puns are based on ambiguity. Here are some more examples:

1. I rushed out and killed a huge lion in my pajamas! - How did the lion get in your pajamas?
2. Man in restaurant: I will have two lamb-chops. And make them lean, please. - Waiter: To which side?
3. Why was Cinderella thrown off the football game? - Because she ran from the ball.

Example 1 is based on the double meaning of "in my pajamas". Most likely the first person meant he or she was wearing pajamas while killing the lion. The second speaker deliberately misunderstood him. The 2nd and 3rd example is based on the double meaning of one word. In the 2nd example this is lean; the first reading and certainly what the guest meant: Without a lot of fat. The waiter then referred to the verb to lean. In the 3rd example, the ambiguous word is ball: sport vs. dress-ball make up this joke.

Structural ambiguity

Watch the following Youtube video and answer the questions below:


(URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUrgynlkXVA, checked June 4, 2014. Excerpt from the film Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang)

  1. Find the ambiguous sentence.
  2. Provide unambiguous paraphrases for the two readings.
  3. Characterize the ambiguity in structural/syntactic terms.

Check your solutions here

  1. The sentence is: I want you to picture a bullet inside your head.
  2. Reading 1: I want you to picture a bullet that is inside your head.
    Reading 2: I want you to picture inside your head the following: a bullet.
  3. Reading 1: The preposition phrase inside your head is an adjunct to the noun bullet.
    Reading 2: The preposition phrase inside your head is an adjunct to the verb picture.


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