Absrtact: Ambiguity is a common problem in English learning. There are many reasons for ambiguity. This paper attempts to analyze the types of ambiguity in English from three aspects: grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
In English, we often encounter some ambiguous sentences, that is, a sentence can have two or more interpretations. This is what we usually call it? Ambiguous? . There are many kinds of ambiguity. This paper attempts to briefly summarize and analyze the types of ambiguity in English from three aspects: grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
1. Grammatical ambiguity
In his book English Sentence Structure, Paul Robert pointed out:? In most cases, ambiguity is not intentional. It is due to the negligence in the use of sentence structure that sentences cannot contain marks that can make the meaning clear. (Zhou Liren,1997: 6)? Therefore, ignoring the use of syntactic symbols representing sentence structure will lead to grammatical ambiguity. Wu Qianguang (1995: 199) thinks: Grammatical ambiguity? It refers to the ambiguity caused by different understanding of the syntactic structure in a sentence. ? Grammatical ambiguity is the most common and complicated. The following are some representative examples:
1. 1 part of speech
A sentence often becomes incomprehensible because it is impossible to determine the part of speech of a word.
(1) The university requires a change.
Obviously, the demand in the example can be understood as both a verb and a noun. So is change. So this sentence has two different meanings: (1) The university demands reform. Demands is a verb and change is a noun. (2) The requirements of universities have changed. Demand is a noun and change is a verb.
1.2 Noun (modifier)+Noun
1.2. 1 compound nouns or noun phrases
(2) English teachers
This example is easy to cause ambiguity in written language: (1) an English teacher. English teacher is a compound noun. (2) Teachers from England. English as a modifier is added before nouns to form noun phrases.
1.2.2-ing+ noun
Flying a plane can be dangerous.
This sentence also has two meanings: (1) It will be dangerous to fly a plane. Flying is a gerund. Planes in flight can be dangerous. Fling is a present participle and is used as an adjective.
1.3 belt? Noun possessive case of s
This is his teacher? The book.
Teacher in the sentence? ■ The book can be a whole, that is? Teachers use books? . But his teacher can also be a whole, right? His teacher? . So this sentence has two meanings: (1) This is his teacher's book. This is his teacher's book.
1.4 infinitive verb phrase
(5) The tiger is too small to be killed.
This example also has two meanings: (1) This tiger is too small to hurt people. This means the initiative of the tiger. The tiger is too small to be killed. This means the passive action of the tiger.
1.5? Transitive verb+object? structure
I find Jim an experienced teacher.
The transitive verb found is followed by two nouns Jim and an experienced teacher. This sentence has two meanings: (1) I find Jim an experienced teacher. I found an experienced teacher for Jim.
1.6 coordinate conjunctions and
Tom and Lucy got married.
Tom and Lucy are married. In which and connects two nouns to form a simple sentence. Tom and Lucy are both married. This sentence can be regarded as a compound sentence.
1.7 is negative?
His purpose is not to eat.
This sentence has two meanings: (1) His purpose is not to eat. When making this statement, is and not are closely related, which can be written as is? His purpose is to hunger strike. When making this statement, the relationship between non-eating and eating is close, forming? Hunger strike? Meaning of. Therefore, nothing is suspended (that is, it can swing freely).
1.8 hanging pronoun
The man told his brother that he should lose weight.
The personal pronoun he comes after the two nouns The man and The brother, and the meaning of the sentence becomes vague: (1) The man told his brother to lose weight by himself. He refers to that man. The man told his brother that he should lose weight. What does the personal pronoun at this time refer to his brother?
1.9 modifier of hanging adverbial
(10) People who watch the drama frequently like it.
It's hard to say whether the frequent modifier here is watching a play or praising it, because the adverbial is? Hanging? , so it has two meanings: (1) People who often watch the drama praise it. (2) People who have seen the drama frequently praise it.
1. 10 hangs the attributive modifier
Lily likes the vase on the table that she bought yesterday.
What she bought yesterday in this sentence is an attributive clause, which can be regarded as a decorative vase or table. It also caused ambiguity: (1) Lily likes the vase she bought on the table yesterday. Lily likes the vase that she bought on the table yesterday.
2. Lexical ambiguity
Wu Qianguang (1995: 199) pointed out: Lexical ambiguity? It refers to the ambiguity caused by different understanding of the meaning of a word in a sentence. ?
2. 1 Why? Polysemy? Ambiguity caused by (polysemy)
Robert. Hall pointed out. People give a word different meanings on different occasions. These meanings are naturally the true meaning of the word? (Zhou Liren,1997: 4). It can be seen that the meaning of a word is often vague. Hou (1998∶66) said:? If a word has two or more meanings, what is it? Polysemous words? . ? Therefore, using polysemous words to make sentences may lead to ambiguity. Of course, as long as polysemous words are put in a certain context, ambiguity can generally be avoided. However, sometimes we will encounter a polysemous word with two different meanings in a sentence, so that the sentence is vague. Here are some examples:
2. 1. 1 noun
Mr Smith called me yesterday.
The ring in the sentence can be understood as? A ring? , can also be understood as? Call? .
2. 1.2 verb
He drew a tree.
What can painted do in this sentence? Draw it? Solution, can it still be used Paint with paint? Solution.
2. 1.3 adjective
(14) It's very difficult.
What can hard do in the sentence? Work hard? Solution, and can be used? Work hard? Solution.
2. 1.4 adverb
(15) The man is walking backwards.
What can inverted sentences do in sentences? Back? Solution, and can be used? Back to back? Solution.
2. 1.5 preposition
The vase is on the TV.
Can the on in this sentence be used? Up there? Solution, can it still be used On the TV screen? Solution.
2. 1.6 conjunction
Oil the machine to prevent it from rusting.
The case in the sentence can be interpreted as? Just in case. , can also be interpreted as? What if? Or? When (especially American English)? .
2. 1.7 pronoun
You should be quiet.
Can You be the nominative second person pronoun in the sentence? You, you? It can also be an indefinite personal pronoun Is anyone here? .
2. 1.8 number
She is the mother of a sixteen-year-old child.
Can the cardinal number sixteen be used in the sentence? Sixteen years old? Solution, and can be used? Sixteen children? Solution.
2. 1.9 article
It can be moved by a child.
The indefinite article a in the sentence has the concept of quantity, that is? One? There is the concept of category, which refers to children, not adults or anything else.
2.2 because? Complete homonym? Ambiguity caused by (complete homology)
Lin (1997∶82) thinks:? Homonym means that two or more words have the same form and different meanings. ? Specifically, homonyms refer to words with different meanings, the same pronunciation and spelling or different meanings, but the same pronunciation or spelling.
Because of the same pronunciation, spelling and part of speech, Class B in completely homonymic words is easy to cause ambiguity. Here are some examples:
John drove to the bank.
B.he was attracted by the ball.
C. the tourists passed the port at midnight.
Bank, ball and port in these three examples are all homonyms, that is, the pronunciation, spelling and part of speech are the same, but they are ambiguous because of their different meanings. The bank in example (2 1)a can be understood as? The bank? , and can be understood as? Riverbank? . The ball in example (2 1)b can be understood as? Ball? , and can be understood as? Formal dance? . The port in example (2 1)c can be understood as? Port? , and can be understood as? Wine? .
3. Phonetic ambiguity
Wu Qianguang (1995∶200) pointed out: Phonetic ambiguity? Often because of the words in the sentence? Continuous? The ambiguity caused by this. ? Phonetic ambiguity mostly occurs in spoken language, mainly caused by homophones in the above picture and some C-type homophones (that is, some homophones with different meanings but the same grammatical form). Here is an example:
(22)? How is bread made?
? I know! ? Alice shouted enthusiastically.
? Prepare some flour?
? Where to pick flowers? White Queen asked. In the garden or on the hedge?
? Hey, don't pick the flour. Alice explained:
? Is it the ground?
? How many acres of land does that require? The white queen asked again.
What about Liu? Carol Alice in Wonderland
The above passage has a good humorous effect because of the use of phonetic ambiguity. First of all, flowers and flowers are homophonic, so White Queen understood flour flowers as pollen flowers. Secondly, Alice used the past participle of the verb grind, and White Queen understood ground as? Land? . This group is the phonetic ambiguity caused by words with different meanings but the same grammatical form.
4. Conclusion
Many scholars who study language ambiguity believe that we should try our best to speak and write articles. Accurate, concise and vivid? To avoid ambiguity. However, ambiguity is not only negative. Ambiguity also plays a positive role in our daily life. For example, in commercial advertisements and political propaganda, ambiguity has achieved a good humorous effect. This paper analyzes the types of English ambiguity from the perspectives of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Of course, some formulations remain to be discussed (for example, because? Complete homonym? What causes lexical ambiguity? Words with different meanings but some grammatical forms are the same? Blurred pronunciation, etc. ) for further discussion.
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