Answer to Question #85630 in English for Khutso

Question

Ambiguity (lexical and semantic)and word play
a. Identify a word or words in each of the following two sentences whose use in each sentence may be confusing, and provide two plausible interpretations for each sentence.
I. Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
II. They were too close to the door to close it.

B. Which part of speech is represented by each word or combination of words you identified in (a) (I) and (II) above?

Answer 1

a)

1. Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.

Upon seeing the tear in the painting. (tear) –meaning to break/cut

I shed a tear. (tear) meaning to cry.

2. They were too close to the door to close it.

They were too close. (close)- meaning near.

To the door to close it. (close)-meaning lock/Opposite of open.

b) Homographs- Words with the same spelling but have different meaning and pronunciation.