Exercises on Semantics (1)

Chapter 6

Lexical Semantics

Exercise 6.1: Traditional Semantics

1. Cons Consul ultt a numb number er of dictio dictiona narie riess on the the mean meanin ingg of the word word hero . Then consider the meaning of the word in contemporary usage (in magazines, newspapers, and casual conversation). Does the dictionary meaning reflect the current meaning, or would you say that the meaning has changed and that dictionaries have not kept pace with this change? 2. For the the following following words, words, explain explain the background background or contextua contextuall inforinformation which is necessary to understand the meaning of the word. (a) (a) (b) (c) (c) (d) (e) (e)

reco econcil ncilee genero erous proc procra rast stin inat atee patient repu eputa tati tion on

3. Discuss Discuss the follo following wing expressio expressions ns in respect respect to to the concep concepts ts of extenextention and intension: (a) (b) (c) (c)

the instru instructo ctorr of Linguis Linguistic ticss 101 the day day befor beforee yester yesterda day y the the capi capita tall of Braz Brazil il

Exercise 6.1 Workbook, Page 106

English Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company

Exercise 6.2: Basic Semantic Concepts

1. For the followi wing ng words, list as many synonyms yms as you can think of and discuss the connotations that these synonyms have. (a) (b) (b)

frugal thin thin (of (of a pers person on))

2. Fill in in the colum columns ns below below with the the appropriat appropriatee synonym. synonym. In each each case, case, the word in column A is of English origin and the word in column B is of French or Latin origin. Can you make a general statement about the connotations of the words in columns A and B? A feed ____________ ____________ begin ____________ mistake ____________ ____________ middle ____________

B ____________ conceal people ____________ aid/assist ____________ labor vision ____________ altitude

3. Describe Describe the semanti semanticc relations relationship hip expres expressed sed by each of of the follo following wing sentences. (a) (b) (c) (c) (d) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (h) (i) (i) (j)

I’m I’m alle allergic rgic to nuts. nuts. There There are are walnu walnuts ts in in the the cook cookies ies.. Flight Flight 20 2048 48 arrives arrives and departs departs at 8:0 8:00 0 a.m. a.m. Geo George rge is a pig. pig. That That is a larg largee ba bat. t. I apprec appreciat iatee your your help. help. You helped helped me. That That is a well well-k -kno nown wn club club.. My brother brother married a doctor doctor.. My male sibling sibling joined in wedlock with a physician. In wa walk lked ed the the corps corpse. e. The The corps orpsee is ali alive. ve. Professo Professorr Mulhausen ulhausen went to his office. office. Professo Professorr Mulhausen ulhausen


English Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company

went to the university. (k) He cleane cleaned d the keys keys of the piano piano.. (l) They They have have a lovelove-hat hatee relati relations onship hip.. (m) The escapin escapingg convict convict accidenta accidentally lly assass assassinated inated the guard. guard. (n) Jane ate a piece piece of chicken. chicken. Jane Jane ate ate a piece piece of poultry poultry.. (o) My husban husband d is living. living. I am a widow widow. (p) (p) She She stepp stepped ed on an idea idea.. (q) (q) Edit Edith h amus amused ed the the sa sala lad. d. (r) (r) My brot brothe herr is an on only ly chil child. d. (s) He uninten unintentio tional nally ly commi committed tted perjury perjury.. (t) (t) She She wo wore re a colo colorl rles esss pink pink dres dress. s. (u) (u) He duste dusted d the the plan plants ts.. (v) Othell Othello o killed killed Desdem Desdemona ona.. Desdem Desdemona ona died. died. (w) He descended descended from the ground floor to the attic. 4. Dete Determ rmin inee whet whethe herr the the foll follo owi wing ng are are case casess of homo homoph phon onyy or poly polyse sem my. (a)

fine

(b) (b) ba bank nk (c) (c)

moni mo nito torr

(d) (d) ta tatt tto oo (e) (e)

scho school ol

(f)

leech

(g) (g)

horn horn

(h) ear (i) (i)

spel spelll


‘superior in quality’ ‘a sum of money paid as a penalty’ ‘an incl inclin inee of land land adjo adjoin inin ingg a riv river’ er’ ‘a financial institution’ institution’ ‘a pupi pupill who who as assi sist stss a teac teache her’ r’ ‘a device that receives video signals from a computer’ ‘a perm perman anen entt des design ign on the the skin kin’ ‘a military exercise’ ‘an inst instit itut utio ion n for for inst instru ruct ctio ion n’ ‘a large group of fish’ ‘a bloodsucking worm’ ‘a physician’ ‘a hanger-on, a sycophant’ ‘a stru struct ctur uree proj projec ecti ting ng from from the the head head of an an anim imal al’’ ‘a musical instrument’ ‘the organ for hearing’ ‘the seed-bearing spike of a cereal plant’ ‘to na name me or writ writee the the order der of the the lette etters rs in a word’ ‘a magical formula’ formula’ ‘a period of time’ English Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company

(j)

butt

(k) pilot

‘to hit with the head’ ‘a target (for jokes)’ ‘the larger or thicker end of an object’ ‘one who operates an aircraft or ship’ ‘a television program produced as a prototype of a series’

5. Say what is presupposed by each of the following sentences. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

Is Frank playing that loud music? What I want for my birthday is a new computer. Alistair didn’t go to work today. Grace stopped playing the piano several years ago. When did Tara go back to school? Sally renewed her subscription to People magazine.

6. Which of the following are factive and which nonfactive? (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)

John criticized Mark for not working hard enough. John acknowledged that Mark was not working hard enough. I was hoping that the game was cancelled. It turns out that the game was cancelled. The student forgot that the assignment was due today. The student assumed that the assignment was due today. It’s nice that you could get away. It’s nice to get away. I realized that he had stolen the money. I suspected that he had stolen the money.


Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company

Exercise 6.3: Structural Semantics

1. Identify the superordinate term in each set. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

house, shed, building, garage, cottage, hut plate, saucer, cup, soup bowl, dish, serving bowl stream, river, rivulet, creek, brook, tributary glance, peep, stare, leer, look (at), view, watch hurricane, tornado, gale, storm, typhoon

2. Identify the relationship of oppositeness expressed in the following sentences. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

The window pane is open, but it should be shut. This class is better than last year’s class. This painting is similar to that one. He pushed the lever forwards instead of backwards. This plant was sick, but now it’s healthy. My poor relatives envy my rich relatives. Western Bank merged with Eastern Bank. It is better to give than to receive.

3. Below is one member of a set of scalar adjectives. Identify the other member of the set; if an alternative member exists (in a different context), list that as well. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

hard strong short happy light cheap

4. Give the end-of-scale equivalents for these normal scalar adjectives (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

tired wet poor sad hot



5. Name the structural relation expressed by each of the following pairs of words. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m)

casual/informal parent/offspring university/college right/wrong right/left odd/even odd/unusual bring/take rude/polite wind/breeze moist/damp present/absent fair/foul (ball)

(n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (x) (y)

intelligent/smart employ/use mathematics/history glass/tumbler doctor/patient own/belong to ancestor/descendant predator/prey benefactor/donor enter/leave rise/fall dress/undress

6. Identify whether the following pairs are examples of antonymy or complementary. Are these concepts gradable? (a) (b) (c)

clean/dirty drunk/sober fresh/stale



Exercise 6.4: Semantic Fields

Related to the concept of hyponymy, but more loosely defined, is the notion of a semantic field or domain. A semantic field denotes a segment of reality symbolized by a set of related words. The words in a semantic field share a common semantic property. Most often, fields are defined by subject matter, such as body parts, landforms, diseases, colors, foods, or kinship relations. Internally, these may be organized hierarchically (e.g., royalty, military ranks), part to whole (e.g., body parts), sequentially (e.g., numbers), or cyclically (e.g., days of the week, months of the year), as well as with no discernible order. A thesaurus is generally organized according tosubstantivefields(althoughitalsomakesuseofhyponymyandsynonymy). The words which are part of a semantic field enter into sense or meaning relationships with one another. Each word delimits the meaning of the next word in the field and is delimited by it; that is, it marks off an area or range within the semantic domain. However, there may be a fair amount of overlap in meaning between words in a domain, and it is often difficult to find mutually delimiting terms. Within a domain, some words are marked, while some are unmarked; the unmarked members are more frequent, more basic, broader in meaning, easier to learn and remember, not metaphorical, and typically one morpheme or single lexical item. The marked members often consist of more than one lexical item and may denote a subtype of the unmarked member. Let’s consider some examples of semantic fields. The field of “parts of the face” (see the table below, part a) is a substantive field of part to whole. Terms within the field are arranged spatially and quite clearly delimited, though there is some overlap between terms such as forehead and temple . Terms such as bridge of the nose or eyelids would constitute marked members of the field. The field of “stages of life” (see b) is arranged sequentially, though there is considerable overlap between terms (e.g., child, toddler ) as well as some apparent gaps (e.g., there are no simple terms for the different stages of adulthood). Note that a term such a minor or juvenile belongs to a technical register, a term such as kid or tot to a colloquial register, and a term such as sexagenarian or octogenarian to a more formal register. The semantic field of “water” (see c) could be divided into a number of subfields; in addition, there would appear to be a great deal of overlap between termssuchas sound/fjord or cove/harbor/bay . The semantic field of “clothing” Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 112


(see d) is a particularly rich one, with many unmarked terms (such as dress or pants ) as well as many marked terms (such as pedal-pushers or smoking jacket ). The field of clothing might be organized in many different ways — by sex of wearer, by occasion of wearing, by body part covered, and so on. Finally, the field of “jewelry” (see e) would seem to include quite welldelimited terms, with a number of unmarked terms. Examples of Semantic Fields: (a) Parts of the Face, (b) Stages of Life, (c) Water, (d) Clothing, and (e) Jewelry (a) parts of the face forehead nose septum eyes chin

brow nostrils mouth eyebrows cheeks

(b) stages of life new-born infant nursling, suckling baby, babe child, kid toddler, tot preschooler youngster adolescent youth lad/lass preteen teenager, teen juvenile, minor

temples bridge/tip of the nose lips eyelids eyelashes jaw jowls

young adult adult grown up person middle aged person senior citizen mature person aged person senior citizen, senior old {lady, man, person} sexagenarian septuagenarian octogenarian nonagenarian centenarian

(c) water forms: ice, water, steam, vapor, sleet, rain, snow, hail bodies of water: ditch, slough, swamp, narrows, strait, inlet, bight, bayou, brine, deep, firth, loch, tarn, well, reservoir, firth, pool, sea, ocean, lake, pond, bay, inlet, estuary, fjord, sound, gulf, lagoon, Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 113


cove, harbor water in motion: creek, river, waves, billows, stream, rain, brook, rivulet, tributary, spring frozen water: ice, snow, crystal, sleet, hail, icicle, iceberg, rime, hoarfrost, glacier gas: vapor, steam (d) clothing dress (cocktail-, strapless-, shirtwaist-) toga shift jumpsuit suit vest pajamas bathrobe tee-shirt undershirt turtleneck shorts knickers culottes skirt underwear panties hat cap toque scarf belt tie socks tights gloves mittens shawl cape jacket sweater (e) jewelry ring watch pin crown cufflinks

gown (evening-, ball-)

parka pullover

jumper smock pantsuit sports coat nightgown smoking jacket shirt blouse pants/slacks trousers cut-offs skorts peddle-pushers bloomers brassière girdle beret tam headband earmuffs suspenders gaiters, spats pantyhose stockings muff muffler coat (sports-, rain-, over-, top-, lab-) wind-breaker anorak cardigan apron

earring wristwatch pendant tiara stick-pin

nose-ring pocket-watch necklace bracelet tie-clasp

brooch stud choker anklet belt buckle

Now try to list the possible members of the following semantic fields: 1. vocalization Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 114


2. types of roads 3. personality traits



Exercise 6.5: Semantic Features (Nouns)

1. Using the inherent features of nouns discussed in the chapter, analyze the underlined noun in each of the following sentences: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t)

Have you made plans for tonight? He had the flu last week. The group made its way through the forest. He has a very healthy appetite. We have managed to stay within our budget. She spilled the coffee grounds on the floor. Have you any grounds for making such a claim? After the long boat trip, it felt good to stand on solid ground. Do you like seafood? My grandparents are coming for visit. A herd of caribou crossed the road. Our vacation begins next week. She has symptoms of the flu. You should take responsibility for the planning. The scenery here is so beautiful. Where is the receiver? My clothes need to ironed. The doctor prescribed bed rest. The scissors are missing. Are there any requirements for this course?

2. Give two different feature analyses for each of the following. (a) (b)

bank response



Exercise 6.6: Semantic Features (Verbs)

1. Analyze the predicates in the following sentences using the inherent verbal features [±STATIVE] [±DURATIVE] [±TELIC] [±VOLUNTARY] (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s)

The skaters are practicing. She skated around the rink. She skates gracefully. She bumped into another skater. He polished her skates for her. Pam has a cold. Pam recently recovered from her illness. Pam caught a cold last week. Pam was coughing loudly. Pam cured herself with large doses of vitamin C. Charles and Julia got married yesterday. The ceremony lasted an hour. They have been engaged a long time. Julia’s mother was crying. He studied for the test. The test began at 9:00. While studying, he drank lots of coffee. He is happy with the results. After the exam, he got drunk.

2. Often the same verb can denote a number of different situations. Below are verbs used in several different ways. Analyze using the four inherent features of verbs. (a)

HEAR

(b)

LIE


I heard a strange noise. I hear well. I heard a Mozart symphony last night. I hear the waves. The book is lying on the desk. He is lying on the bed. Then he lay down.


(c)

HELP

(d)

IDENTIFY

(e)

DRESS

(f)

SINK

(g)

REGRET

(h)

TASTE

She is helping him. She is helping him wash the car. He finally identified the insect. She identifies with her idol. She dresses well. It took ten minutes for her to dress. The house is sinking. The ship is sinking She regrets her words. She regretted it as soon as she said it. The dinner tastes good. He bent over and tasted the soup. Then he tasted the mint in the drink.

3. Answer the following using the verb play. (a)

(b)

(c)

(i)

Give a sentence of the form N – V (– N) which is an activity. (ii) Give a sentence of the form N – V – PP which is an activity. (iii) Give a sentence of the form N – V – Prt which is an activity. (i) Give a sentence of the form N – V – N [+COUNT] [+SINGULAR] which is an accomplishment. (ii) Give a sentence of the form N – V – N [+COUNT] [+PLURAL] which is an accomplishment. (iii) Give a sentence of the form N – V – PP [−COUNT] [+PLURAL] which is an accomplishment. Give a sentence of the form N – V – N [−COUNT] which is an activity.

4. Answer the questions in (3) in respect to the verb read .



Exercise 6.7: Modal Auxiliaries

1. Determine whether the following sentences with modal expressions, in normal readings, have deontic or epistemic meaning or are ambiguous: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v)

I must be getting sick. You may be pregnant. Nitric acid will dissolve zinc. John must leave now. He can miss the class. You could clean your room. He must have passed the examination. You might have fallen, Cocktail parties can be boring. She could be discouraged. I will marry her. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You can’t be serious. Harris has to retire next year. He might try a bit harder to pass the course. She can be very obstinate. Guests may not use their cellular phones in the restaurant. Only experts can advance to the next stage of the competition. She must be careful with her money. Grant is in New York now, I guess. The movie shouldn’t be violent. The revised paper could be better.

2. For the following, say whether the modal or the main verb is negated. (a) (b) (c) (d)

You mustn’t say a thing. She doesn’t have to resit the examination. I can’t reach the upper shelf. I won’t interfere.



Exercise 6.8: Prototypes

For the concept of furniture, list the core, or prototypical, members and the peripheral members. Justify your distinction between core and periphery. What are the defining characteristics of this concept?



Exercise 6.9: Figurative Language

1. Give the selectional restrictions for the following words: (a) (b) (c) (d)

study surprise slither invest

2. Identify the type of figurative expression in each of the following: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (x) (y) (z) (aa)

a smooth wine an autobiography of her life passive aggressive wildlife management Orders are orders. an endowed chair a hard-hitting report the paper a loud color a new initiative The pen is mightier than the sword. a new set of wheels “Death, thou shalt die”. (John Donne) a hot topic the hands of a clock blood, sweat, and tears an on-off relationship The traffic is crawling. search one’s soul Enough is enough. room and board live on borrowed time table linen an aide The law is the law. be under the weather sell for money



(bb) (cc) (dd) (ee)

circumnavigate around working vacation close proximity extinct life

3. Explain what is “wrong” with each of the following expressions using semantic features and the notion of selectional restrictions. Example: a fatherless orphan Answer: fatherless has the feature [−FATHER], while orphan also has the feature [−FATHER]; thus, this expression is tautological.

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

pregnant pause eloquent silence misery loves company bitter reproach joint partnership

4. State the principle upon which each of the following metaphors is based. (Do not simply paraphrase the metaphors.) (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

That’s food for thought. He is a giant among film directors. Let me put in my two cent’s worth. She is a member of the upper class. His health is declining. His mood is down/depressed.

5. Give a focus and vehicle interpretation of the following metaphors. (a) (b) (c)

“My thoughts are ripe in mischief”. (Shakespeare) “But ye lovers that bathen in gladnesse”. (Chaucer) “That time of year thou mayst in me behold/ When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang/Upon the boughs …” (Shakespeare)



Answer to Exercise 6.1

1. A hero is generally defined as a person who exhibits extraordinary bravery or greatness of soul and who is admired for his or her achievements and noble qualities. Furthermore, this bravery is usually in the face of danger and is selfless. Does this definition seem to coincide with the use of the word in contexts such as “sports hero”? How would the definition need to be modified? 2. (a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

3. (a)

(b)

reconcile: once there was a friendly relationship between two or more parties; something happened to create a rift or distancing; now this rift has healed (through some action of the parties) and they are once more close. generous: describes a person who is willing to give or share; this giving or sharing is perhaps above the norm of what is expected; this quality is considered a virtue or a sign of nobility of character. procrastinate: describes the tendency to put off something or delay in doing something; the thing delayed is unpleasant in some way but is deemed necessary or is expected; procrastination is often habitual and is seen as resulting from carelessness or laziness; hence, procrastinating is judged negatively or is seen as a character defect. patient: describes the quality of enduring or bearing something with equanimity or calmness; this something is unpleasant (pain, difficulty, deprivation, etc.) but unavoidable; patience is seen as a positive characteristic, a virtue. reputation: describes the quality of being well (or ill) thought of; this recognition must be generally acknowledged and must be the result of actions over an extended period of time. The phrase “the instructor of Linguistics 101” has a single intension, but different extensions, as different people may teach this course from year to year or even in any given year. The phrase “the day before yesterday” has a single intension as well, but the actual day referred to differs depending upon which

Answer to Exercise 6.1 Workbook, Page 123


(c)

day this phrase is spoken. The phrase “the capital of Brazil” has a single intension, but in fairly recent history the extension has changed — from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília.




1. (a)

neutral to positive in connotation: careful (with one’s money) , prudent , thrifty , scotch negative in connotation: stingy , penny-pinching , tight (wad) , parsimonious , miserly (b) neutral to positive in connotation: slender , lean , slim, twiggy , delicate , lanky , slight , spare , lightweight , svelt negative in connotation: skinny , scrawny , skeletal , puny , underweight , spindly , gangly , anorexic , wasted , emaciated

2. A feed hide folk begin help mistake work sight middle height

B nourish conceal people commence aid/assist error labor vision center altitude

The words in Column B all have a more “elevated” or more positive connotation than the words in Column A. 3. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l)

inclusion contradiction ambiguity — literal/metaphorical ambiguity — homonymy presupposition ambiguity — polysemy paraphrase anomaly contradiction entailment metaphor contradiction



(m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) 4. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i)

(j) (k) 5. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

anomaly entailment contradiction anomaly anomaly contradiction contradiction contradiction ambiguity — polysemy entailment contradiction homophony homophony polysemy homophony homophony polysemy polysemy homophony homophony (Actually, the first two definitions are part of the same word, though they are now so far removed from one another in meaning that they are listed as separate words in the dictionary.) homophony polysemy Someone is playing loud music. I want something for my birthday. Normally Alistair goes to work on this day. Grace used to play the piano. Tara went back to school. Sally already had a subscription, and it had run out or was about to run out.

6. Factive: (b), (d), (e), (g), (i) Nonfactive: (a), (c), (f), (h), (j) Answer to Exercise 6.2 Workbook, Page 126



1. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

building dish river look (at) storm

2. (a) (b) (c) (d)

complementarity converseness symmetry complementarity

(e) (f) (g) (h)

complementarity antonymy recprocity converseness

3. (a)

hard: soft (as in hard/soft bed ) hard (= ‘difficult’): easy (as in hard/easy question ) hard is unmarked (Soft is in opposition to loud when referring to a sound or voice.) (b) strong : weak (as in strong/weak person or tea ) strong : mild (as in strong/mild cheese ) strong is unmarked (c) short : long (as in short/long rope or novel ) short : tall (as in short/tall person or building ) short is marked (d) happy : sad/unhappy happy is unmarked (e) light : dark (as in light/dark color ) light : heavy (as in light/heavy box or housework ) light is marked (f) cheap/inexpensive : expensive cheap is marked

4. (a) exhausted (b) drenched, soaking (c) destitute

(d) despondent (e) scorching

5. (a) synomymy (b) converseness

(n) synonymy (o) synonymy



(c) (d) (e) (f ) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m)

cohyponyms complementarity converseness complementarity synonymy converseness antonymy superordinate — hyponym synonymy complementarity complementarity

(p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (x) (y)

cohyponyms superordinate — hyponym converseness converseness converseness converseness synonymy reversive reversive reversive

6. All would appear to be examples of antonymy since they are gradable: very {clean, drunk, fresh} or cleaner , drunker , fresher . However, we might also conceive of these as complementary concepts in some contexts: e.g., a dish is either clean or not, and legally, one is either drunk or not.




1. whisper, yell, growl, murmur, cry, shout, bellow, whine, shriek, bark, roar, grunt, groan, call, bawl, whoop, howl, scream, squeal, grumble, screech, shriek, pipe, holler, etc. 2. street, alley, lane, path, avenue, way, cul-de-sac, bay, thoroughfare, freeway, highway, carriage-way, expressway, toll road, interstate, secondary road, back-road, etc. 3. friendly, sullen, morose, cheerful, reserved, depressed, compulsive, obsessive, prissy, prudish, affected, snobbish, conceited, sociable, vain, vivacious, gregarious, sensitive, self-confident, self-centered, vicious, spiteful, duplicitous, sneaky, repressed, mean, nasty, pretentious, kind, straight-forward, extroverted, introverted, etc.




1. (a)

plans [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (b) flu [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (c) group [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [+ANIMATE] [±HUMAN] [±MALE] [+COLLECTIVE] (d) appetite [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (e) budget [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (f) grounds [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [+COLLECTIVE] (g) grounds [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (h) ground [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE] (i) seafood [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [+ANIMATE?] [−HUMAN] [+COLLECTIVE] (j) grandparents [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+ANIMATE] [+HUMAN] [±MALE] [-COLLECTIVE] (k) herd [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [+ANIMATE] [−HUMAN] [±MALE] [+COLLECTIVE] (l) vacation [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (m) symptoms [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] or [−COUNT] [+COLLECTIVE] (n) responsibility [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (o) scenery [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [-COLLECTIVE] (p) receiver [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE] or [+ANIMATE] [±HUMAN] [±MALE] (q) clothes [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE]



(r) (s) (t)

2. (a)

(b)

[−ANIMATE] [+COLLECTIVE] bedrest [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] scissors [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE] requirements [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [-COLLECTIVE] bank (institution) [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] bank (building) [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] response (verbal/written) [+COMMON] [+COUNT][+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] response (reaction) [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE]




1. (a) (b) (c) (d)

[−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [±VOLUNTARY] (bumping may be either intentional or not) (e) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (f) [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (g) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (h) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (i) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (Presumably, coughing is involuntary in this case, though in He coughed to catch her attention , it is voluntary.) (j) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (k) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (l) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (m) [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (Engagement might seem [+TELIC] since it leads up to marriage, but even if marriage does not occur, the couple can be said to have been engaged.) (n) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (o) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (p) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (q) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (r) [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (s) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (Although drinking (to excess) is voluntary and durative, getting drunk is not really voluntary but is a change of state that simply happens.)

2. (a)

(b)

[−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY]



(c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

[−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY]

3. (a)

(i) Adele is playing (the piano). (ii) Adele played on the piano. (iii) Adele played on. (b) (i) Adele played a game of chess. (ii) Adele played two sets of tennis. (iii) Adele played from 3 o’clock to 4 o’clock. (c) Adele played popular music on the piano.

4. (a)

(i) (ii) (iii) (b) (i) (ii) (iii) (c)

Adrian read yesterday. Adrian read in the novel. Adrian read on. Adrian read a novel. Adrian read two novels. Adrian read to the end of the novel. Adrian read out the words. (actually N – V – Prt – N) Adrian read science fiction.




1. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g)

E — It is possible that I am getting sick. E — It is possible that you are pregnant; I think you are. E — It is certain that nitric acid dissolves zinc; I know it does. D — John is obliged to leave now; he has reasons to do so. D — He has permission to miss class or he is able to miss class. D — You are obliged to clean your room; I want you to do so. A — It is likely that he did pass the examination, judging from appearances (E). It is necessary that he have passed the examination, in order to graduate (D). (More common in this case to say He must pass the exam.) (h) E — It is possible that you could have fallen. (i) E — Cocktail parties are likely to be boring. (j) A — We could do something to discourage her (D). It is possible that she is discouraged (E). (k) D — I intend to marry her. (This is the strict reading. The sentence has a looser meaning of prediction, hence an epistemic reading.) (l) D — It is your obligation to be ashamed of yourself. (m) E — It is not possible that you are being serious. (n) D — Harris is obliged to retire. (o) A — It is possible that he will try harder (E). He is obliged to try harder (D). (p) E — It is possible for her to be very obstinate. (q) D — Guests are not permitted to use their cellular phones. (r) D — Only experts have permission or have the ability to advance. (s) A — She is obliged to be careful with her money (D) From appearances, I deduce that she is careful (E). (t) E — It is likely that Grant is in New York. (u) A — It is possible that the movie won’t be violent (E). I am requiring that the movie not be violent (D). (v) E — It is possible that the revised paper will be better (E). The revised paper is not as good as it should be (E).



2. (a) (b) (c) (d)

main verb — You are obliged not to say a thing. modal — She is not obliged to resit the exam. modal — I am not able to reach the upper shelf. main verb — I am willing not to interfere.




core members: chair, stool, bench, rocking chair, armchair, couch, sofa, divan, chaise longue, daybed, loveseat, recliner, easy-chair, table (coffee-, dining-), desk, console, crib, cradle, bed, cot, bookcase, stereo/t.v. cabinet, sideboard, buffet, dresser, bureau, chest, wardrobe, coat rack, hat rack, umbrella stand peripheral members: throne, dais, cupboard, cabinet, counter, bunk, stretcher, hammock, altar, pulpit, lectern, podium, workbench, sink, toilet, lamp, mirror, carpet, picture, drapes, blinds, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, picnic table, lawn chair (may be core?) Core members must be moveable, not built in, used inside the home for everyday use. lectern, podium, pulpit, altar — not used in the home cabinet, cupboard, workbench, altar, sink, toilet — not moveable throne, dais, stretcher — not for everyday use hammock, workbench, picnic table, lawn chair — not used inside the home sink, toilet — not moveable, would be considered “fixtures” mirror, lamp, picture, carpet, drapes, blinds — would be considered “furnishings” dishwasher, washing machine, dryer — not moveable, would be considered “appliances”




1. (a) (b) (c) (d)

study — requires [+HUMAN] subject surprise — requires [+ANIMATE] object slither — requires [+SNAKE] or [+WORM] subject invest — requires [+HUMAN] subject and [+MONETARY] object

2. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w)

synesthesia tautology oxymoron paradox apparent tautology metonymy (= ‘a professorship’) personification synedoche synesthesia tautology metonymy ( pen = ‘writing’; sword = ‘fighting’) synecdoche (= ‘a car’) personification/tautology synesthesia metaphor metonymy (= ‘great effort, hard work’) oxymoron metaphor metaphor apparent tautology metonymy (board = ‘food’) metaphor synecdoche (However, table linen is often not made of linen anymore.) (x) metonymy (y) apparent tautology (z) metaphor (aa) tautology (bb) tautology



(cc) oxymoron (dd) tautology (ee) oxymoron 3. (a)

The adjective pregnant has the restriction that it cooccur with a noun that is [−MALE]; pause is [−ANIMATE], and the feature of maleness is hence not relevant. In this case, it is the secondary feature of [+EXPECTANT] in pregnant which seems to be in the forefront. The expression is metaphorical. (b) Eloquent has the restriction that it cooccur with a noun with the feature [+SPEECH] or at least [+ORAL]; silence is [−ORAL]. Therefore, this expression is an oxymoron. (c) The verb love selects a subject which is [+ANIMATE], and probably [+HUMAN] as well. The noun misery is [−CONCRETE], hence [−ANIMATE]. In this case, however, misery seems to have taken on the feature [+ANIMATE] by a process of personification. (d) Bitter selects a noun which is [+GUSTATORY], while reproach is [+SPEECH]; hence, this expression is a case of synesthesia. (e) Both joint and partnership contain the notion of [+JOINING]; thus, this expression is tautological.

4. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) 5. (a)

(b)

Ideas are food to be consumed. Reputation/renown is equated with physical size. Ideas are equated to money. A conversation is like a container which collects things. Social rank is equated to height on a vertical scale. Physical well-being is equated to height on a vertical scale. Emotional well-being equated to height on a vertical scale. focus interpretation: the thoughts are fully formed or developed (like ripe fruit) vehicle interpretation: the thoughts are like fruit/vegetables — organic, capable of growth to maturity, nourishing, perhaps even on the verge of rotting if not eaten (acted upon). focus interpretation: the lovers are luxuriating in, indulging, enjoying their happiness (as one does water in a bath)



Exercises on Semantics (1)

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