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Semantics-Final Exam-29 July 2020 - Answer Key

This document contains suggested answers to a semantics final test with 5 sections. Section I explains hyponymy involves entailment with the example of "rose" being a hyponym of "flower". Section II analyzes the semantic anomalies in 3 sentences. Section III identifies the sense relations between 10 pairs of words. Section IV explains the ambiguities in 5 sentences by providing two interpretations. Section V interprets the meanings and identifies the figures of speech used in 4 sentences.

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Shaxrizoda Barakaeva
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4K views3 pages

Semantics-Final Exam-29 July 2020 - Answer Key

This document contains suggested answers to a semantics final test with 5 sections. Section I explains hyponymy involves entailment with the example of "rose" being a hyponym of "flower". Section II analyzes the semantic anomalies in 3 sentences. Section III identifies the sense relations between 10 pairs of words. Section IV explains the ambiguities in 5 sentences by providing two interpretations. Section V interprets the meanings and identifies the figures of speech used in 4 sentences.

Uploaded by

Shaxrizoda Barakaeva
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SEMANTICS-FINAL TEST - SUGGESTED ANSWERS

Subject Code : SEMA230236

Date of Exam : 29 July 2020


Time: 60 minutes

I. (2 marks)

Explain what it means to say that HYPONYMY involves ENTAILMENT. Provide ONE example to
prove your point.

→ Given two sentences A and B, identical in every way except that A contains a word X where B
contains a different word Y, and X is a HYPONYM of Y, then sentence A ENTAILS sentence B.

Eg: Sentence A: She was smelling a ROSE.

Sentence B: She was smelling a FLOWER.

→ As ROSE is a hyponym of FLOWER (the meaning of FLOWER is included in the meaning of


ROSE) , it is said that sentence A entails sentence B.

II. (1.5 marks)


Explain the ANOMALY/ODDNESS/ CONTRADICTION of these sentences by analyzing the
SEMANTIC FEATURES/SENSE PROPERTIES.

1. The television drank my water.

→ The sentence is semantically anomalous because television is [- animate/+inanimate]


whereas drank is an action performed by an [+ animate] agent.

2. His dog writes poetry.

→ The sentence is anomalous because dog and write poetry are not semantically compatible to
be combined in this way. Dog is [-human] whereas the action of writes poetry has the semantic
feature of [+human].

3. That womanly bachelor is expecting her third in July.

→ The sentence is semantically anomalous because bachelor is [+male/-female] whereas


expecting her third is [- male/ +female]

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III. (2 marks)
What is the sense relation between each pair of words listed below?
1. damp/moist: SYNONYMY
2. deep/shallow: ANTONYMY
3. furniture/table: HYPONYMY
4. married/single: ANTONYMY
5. move/run: HYPONYMY
6. peace/piece: HOMOPHONY/HOMOPHONES
7. bark/bark HOMONYMY
8. take/steal: HYPONYMY
9. spoon/cutlery: HYPONYMY
10. lamb/lamb: POLYSEMY
IV. (2.5 marks)

Explain the AMBIGUITY in each of the following sentences by providing TWO SENTENCES that
paraphrase its two meanings.

1. She is looking for a match.

a.She is looking for a sport match.

b. She is looking for a a short, thin piece of wood or cardboard used to light a fire.

2. She wore a light suit to the party that night.

a.She wore a suit which was not heavy to the party that night.

b. She wore a suit of a light color to the party that night.

3. I will tell my big brother.

a.I will tell my brother who is (physically) big.

b. I will tell my elder/older brother.

4. Two brothers reunited after 20 years in checkout counter.

a.After 20 years, two brothers reunited in checkout counter.


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b. After 20 years in checkout counter, two brothers reunited.

5. The kiwi eats the roots and leaves.

a.The kiwi eats the roots and it leaves

b. What the kiwi eats are the roots and leaves.

V. (2 marks)

INTERPRET the meaning of the following sentences and identify the kind of FIGURES OF SPEECH
used.

1. His organization is keeping the brake on pay rises.

→ keeping the brake is a METAPHOR. The whole sentence means his organization is
controlling the increase of money paid.

2. He has a good head for business.

→ a good head for business is a METONYMY. The whole sentence means he is smart
at/gifted in doing business.

3. Her house is like a prison.

→ like a prison is a SIMILE. The whole sentence means she can not leave her home or she
is trapped inside.

4. Never in a billion years will he admit defeat.

→ in a billion years is a HYPERBOLE/ an OVERSTATEMENT. The whole sentence


means he will never admit defeat.

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