For Q2, you may find it useful to review the concept of structural ambiguity (as discussed in
lectures and in the textbook). Your two tree diagrams should be for the original headline
sentence (NOT for your paraphrased sentences). For example, you chose to work on the second
headline for this question, so BOTH of your tree diagrams are for the sentence “Students cook
and serve grandparents.” Each of the two tree diagrams should look slightly different, as the
syntactic structure will show in each case why we get the specific meaning (and not the other
meaning). Your tree diagrams should conform to PS rules, of course.
Here’s an example of structural ambiguity that may arise with conjunctions. Remember that Conj
can only operate on two syntactic objects that are of the same type, for example two heads of the
same syntactic category or two phrases that have heads of the same syntactic category, for
instance - two Ns or two NPs. Therefore, red roses and peonies can refer to either:
a) roses and peonies BOTH of which are red
(or semantically speaking, for those of you who have read beyond syntax:
there is some x such that x is a rose and x is red, and there is some y such that y is a
peony and y is red)
b) RED roses and peonies of some other (unspecified) color
(there is some x such that x is a rose and x is red, and there is some y such that y is a
peony)
This is how syntax accounts for the two different meanings:
a)
AP
|
A
|
red
NP
N
N
Conj
|
|
roses and
b)
N
|
peonies
NP
NP
AP
|
A
|
red
As you see in this diagram, A red is the modifier
(=qualifier) of N roses and peonies. Therefore, we
get the semantic interpretation that both roses and
peonies are red.
N
|
roses
Conj
|
and
NP
|
N
|
peonies
As you see in this diagram, A red is the modifier
(=qualifier) ONLY of N roses. Therefore, we get
the semantic interpretation that of the two flowers
only roses are red.