One sentence, multiple meanings: Analysing ambiguity

Exploring English through stories and real-world texts

There are many benefits to using inspiring stories, interesting anecdotes, thought-provoking jokes, and discussion-worthy news reports in the teaching and learning of a foreign language. Such materials help teachers teach and learners learn language in context. They enable learners to remember new words and phrases more effectively and to use them appropriately.

Consider the difference between a learner who learns vocabulary out of context—for example, from a dictionary—and another who learns new words through short stories, novels, and newspapers. Who do you think will be able to remember new words more easily and use them more naturally? Of course, it is the learner who learns through reading. This clearly illustrates the difference between rote memorisation and engaging learning, which also helps learners internalise grammar in an intuitive way.

As stories are engaging, spark imagination, and sustain learners’ interest, they can be an effective tool for developing language skills. Reading stories also helps learners develop critical thinking and reading comprehension skills.

The objective of this column is to introduce nuances of the English language and various aspects of grammar through stories, anecdotes, jokes, news reports, and other engaging reading materials.

PHOTO: Freepik

Understanding ambiguity

Read the story below:

Long ago, in a quiet village, there lived a boy called Rakesh who often lost himself in thoughts about the wider world. He spent much of his time imagining a future that stretched far beyond the narrow lanes of his home. One afternoon, while resting near the riverbank, he noticed a powerful eagle gliding effortlessly through the sky. The sight filled him with wonder and awakened a strong desire to rise above his circumstances.

Life in the village was modest, and Rakesh’s family struggled to make ends meet. Still, his curiosity knew no limits, and his thirst for learning only grew stronger. At night, he would gaze at the stars and picture a different life waiting for him somewhere beyond the fields.

One day, a wandering sage arrived in the village and quickly sensed Rakesh’s enthusiasm for learning. He spoke to the boy about discipline, patience, and effort.

The wise man spoke to Rakesh about success with hope. Motivated by these words, Rakesh resolved to leave his village and seek knowledge elsewhere. The road ahead was difficult, filled with trials that tested his resolve. Along the way, he learnt from books, experiences, and people who crossed his path. He learnt from the teachers with stories.

As the years went by, Rakesh faced repeated failures that could have broken his spirit. Instead, he treated each failure as a lesson. Failure made him stronger every time.

Through persistence and hard work, Rakesh slowly transformed into a determined and skilled individual.

In the end, Rakesh realised that the journey itself had shaped him into the person he aspired to be. His dreams finally took flight with hard work.

When he told his mentor about the achievement, he was proud.

The sentences in bold in the story are ambiguous, each carrying more than one possible meaning. Read them carefully and try to identify two interpretations for each. If you succeed in uncovering both meanings, it’s a “hurray” moment for you!

What is ambiguity? When a statement is unclear and can convey more than one meaning, it is said to be ambiguous. Since ambiguity can lead to misunderstanding, it is important to understand what it is and how to avoid it in writing.

PHOTO: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The three types

There are several types of ambiguity. Here, we will focus on three common ones.

Lexical ambiguity occurs when a single word has more than one meaning. For example, the word bat can refer to an animal or a piece of sports equipment.

Structural ambiguity arises when the structure or word order of a sentence allows more than one interpretation. For instance, the sentence “The police killed a robber with a gun” can mean either that the police used a gun or that the robber had a gun.

Referential ambiguity occurs when a pronoun has an unclear reference. Consider the sentence “Jane told her sister that she is capable of scoring a centum in mathematics.” The pronoun “she” may refer either to Jane or to her sister.

Now, let’s analyse the sentences in the story. They contain the three types of ambiguity—lexical, structural, and referential—that we discussed earlier. Before reading further, can you identify which sentence illustrates each type of ambiguity?

1) The wise man spoke to Rakesh about success with hope.

Type:Structural ambiguity

Possible meanings:

a) The sage speaks with hope.

b) The sage spoke about success that brings hope?

2) He (Rakesh) learnt from the teachers with stories.

Type: Structural ambiguity

Possible meanings:

a) The teachers used stories to teach Rakesh life lessons.

b) Rakesh learned only from those teachers who had stories.

3) Failure made him stronger every time.

Type: Lexical ambiguity

Possible meanings: The word ‘stronger’ can refer to physical strength or mental strength.

4) His dreams finally took flight with hard work.

Type: Lexical ambiguity

Possible meanings: The word flight can refer either to literal travel or to metaphorical success.

5) When he told his mentor about the achievement, he was proud.

Type: Referential ambiguity

Possible meanings: Who was proud: Rakesh or the mentor? The pronoun ‘he’ in the phrase ‘he was proud’ can refer either to Rakesh or the mentor.

Ambiguity can create confusion and lead to misunderstandings, so it’s always a good idea to check if our writing is clear. People who think clearly are better at expressing their ideas. Simply put, when your thoughts are clear, your words become clear too!

(Dr Albert P’Rayan is an ELT resource person and education columnist. Send your feedback to englishmatters2024@gmail.com)

ACTIVITY

Identify and explain the ambiguity in the sentences below:

1. John went to the bank in the morning.

2. The teacher asked the students to draw the curtains.

3. The principal greeted the teacher with a smile.

4. Mary told Jane that she was selected.

5. When Ramesh met Ganesh, he was nervous.