Disambiguate the following sentences and explain how the ambiguity arises.
Flying planes can be dangerous.
This sentence is ambiguous due to the word “flying” because when it is a present particle, it means that the act to make planes fly is dangerous, and when it is used as a gerund to modify the noun “planes”, it means that the planes that are flying are dangerous. To disambiguate the sentence, we can say “To fly planes can be dangerous” or “The planes that are flying can be dangerous”.
The boy put the straw in his mouth.
This sentence is ambiguous due to the word “straw” because it has more than one meaning. It can refer to the dried, yellowish stalks from crops or to a thin tube. To disambiguate the sentence, we can add some information—The boy put the straw in his mouth to suck the drink.
I saw her duck under the table.
This sentence is ambiguous because the word “duck” can be a noun or a verb. When it is a noun, it refers to an animal; when it is a verb, it refers to the quick move in order to avoid being seen. To disambiguate the sentence, we can say “I saw her duck which was under the table” or “I saw her duck under the table to avoid being seen”.
Old men and women were given priority to get on the lifeboats.
This sentence is structurally ambiguous. The phrase “old men and women” can be interpreted in two ways-old men and all women; old men and old women. To disambiguate the sentence, we can say “Old men and all women were given priority to get on the lifeboats”.