ExCh1 Ambiguity 1a-b
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Example sentence: Pat didn't know a guest at the party.
Yes, your answer is correct!
This is a structural ambiguity.
The two readings are:
- (a) Pat knew no guest at the party.
- (a) Pat knew no guest at the party.
More formally: It is not the case that there was a guest at the party that Pat knew.
- (b) There was one guest at the party Pat didn't know.
- (b) There was one guest at the party Pat didn't know.
More formally: There was a guest at that party such that it is not the case that Pat knew this guest.
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