AMBIGUITY

HO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
COMMUNICATION SKILLS 1
AMBIGUITY
OUTLINE
➢Learning Objectives
➢Definition of Ambiguity
➢Types of Ambiguity,
➢ Structural/syntactic (grouping of words or word order)
i. Misplaced modifiers
ii. Dangling modifiers
➢ Semantic/lexical (words and their meanings)
➢ Phonological (likeness in sounds)
➢ Resolving/Fixing ambiguity
➢ Examples
➢References
Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 2

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, the student should be able to perform the follow
activities:
• define the concept of ambiguity.
• know the types of ambiguity.
• provide examples of ambiguous sentences.
• resolve ambiguity within sentences.

WHAT IS AMBIGUITY?
• What are some synonyms of ambiguity?
• Have you ever made or heard an ambiguous statement before?
• Was it easy to understand that statement?
• Was the statement clear to your listeners or audience?

ANALYSE
THIS
EXCHANGE
• Write down the two

possible meanings you
can get from the
exchange between the
man and the woman.

TYPES OF AMBIGUITY
I. Structural/syntactic (grouping of words or word

order)
II. Semantic/lexical (words and their meanings)
III.Phonological (likeness in sounds)

ISSUES IN AMBIGUITY
• Intended ambiguity (humour, confusion)

• Unintended ambiguity (meaning/ semantic irregularity)
• Achieving precision in communication or language use is paramount
• Choice of words
• Word order
• Punctuation

STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITY
• This is the most common type of ambiguity.
• It results from the arrangement of words.
• Some of the causes of structural ambiguity include the following:
1. Unclear modification
• The secretary doesn’t want to enter dirty workers dormitories.

• The secretary doesn’t want to enter workers’ dirty dormitories.
• The executives plan not to attend boring musicians’ live performances.
• The executives plan not to attend boring live performances of musicians.

2. Ambiguous reference
• Take the screens off the second storey windows and paint them.
• ‘Them’ here can refer to either the screens or the windows.
• Repeating the reference in question resolves the ambiguity

• When I tried to glue the handle to the cup, it broke.

STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITY
• When the dog stepped on the plate, I carried it.

• Fred told Peter that he is late for the programme.
• The woman beat her daughter because she was drunk.
3. Careless word order

• He gave the parrot to the man with a long beak.

THE MODIFIER
i. The broken man’s computer was fixed.
ii. The man’s broken computer was fixed.

THE DANGLING MODIFIER
• A dangling modifier is the modifier which modifies nothing.
Examples
I. Thinking about the story, the movie started.
II. While talking over the phone, the train left.

THE MISPLACED MODIFIER
•A misplaced modifier is positioned far away from the word/phrase/clause it is

modifying.
Example
I have given some chocolates to the students imported from Germany.

Difference between a misplaced modifier and a
dangling modifier
Misplaced Modifier Dangling Modifier
The sentence contains the modifier (word/phrase The sentence does not contain the modifier
/clause). (word/phrase /clause).
It does not need any extra word(s) to correct the It needs extra word(s) infused into the sentence to
sentence. correct it.
It is corrected by placing the modifier next to the It is corrected by infusing extra words next to the
word(s) it is modifying. modifier.
It is also corrected by totally changing the structure
of the sentence.

LEXICAL AMBIGUITY
• This type of ambiguity is caused by homonymy and polysemy.

• When two words with the same spelling are used in isolation, the meaning
can be unclear. The word saw can be misunderstood if used in isolation.
• However, using it in a particular context will help the listener or reader have a
much clearer understanding of it.
e.g.: 1. I saw him yesterday.
2. The carpenter cut the timber with a sharp saw.

PHONOLOGICAL AMBIGUITY
• In this type of ambiguity, homophones (words which have the same
pronunciation) are the major culprits.
• When two words that sound the same are used in isolation, the meaning can
be unclear. The words son and sun can be misunderstood if used in isolation.
• However, putting them in context will help the listener or reader have a much
clearer understanding of both words.
e.g.: 1. The boy watched the sun set yesterday.
2. Kofi is like the son Mr. Ofori never had.

RESOLVING/FIXING AMBIGUITY
1. CONTEXT
a. The man recognised it by its usual bark.
b. The man recognised the dog by its usual bark.
c. The man recognised the tree by its usual bark.
2. POSITIONING MODIFIERS CLOSE TO WORDS THEY MODIFY

a. She wore a pink hat on her head which was too big.
b. She wore a pink hat which was too big on her head.

3. POVIDE SUBJECTS FOR SENTENCES.
a. To improve your score, practice is needed.
b. To improve your score you need practice.
c. You need to practise if you want to improve your score.
4. REDUCE THE USE OF ADVERBS OF LIMIT OR USE THEM

CORRECTLY e.g., only, barely, almost, nearly, etc.
a. We almost ate all the cake.
b. We ate almost all the cake.
• USE CLEARER REFERENCES

a. When the dog stepped on the plate, I carried it.
b. When the dog stepped on the pate, I carried the plate.
c. The woman beat her daughter because she was drunk.
d. The woman beat her daughter because her daughter was drunk.

Examples (A)
1. The man carried a light box.

2. My sister saw the bat.
3. Running to lectures, the phone fell on the street.
4. To be cooked well, you must steam vegetables.
5. Mercy gave some waakye to her friend wrapped in leaves.
6. I saw a big snake on the way to the market.
7. I invited the people with the microphone.

Examples (B)
1. The lecturer said on Monday, he will give an assignment.

2. Kofi saw the pirate with the telescope.
3. The man recognised it by its unusual bark.
4. The big church plans collapsed.
5. Ama went to the market with her friend in the red dress.
6. The robber attacked the student with the knife.

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HO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 2

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 3

• Have you ever made or heard an ambiguous statement before?

• Was it easy to understand that statement?

• Was the statement clear to your listeners or audience?

• Write down the two

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 5

I. Structural/syntactic (grouping of words or word

II. Semantic/lexical (words and their meanings)

III.Phonological (likeness in sounds)

• Intended ambiguity (humour, confusion)

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 7

• The secretary doesn’t want to enter dirty workers dormitories.

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 8

• Repeating the reference in question resolves the ambiguity

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 9

• When the dog stepped on the plate, I carried it.

3. Careless word order

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 10

i. The broken man’s computer was fixed.

ii. The man’s broken computer was fixed.

• A dangling modifier is the modifier which modifies nothing.

I. Thinking about the story, the movie started.

II. While talking over the phone, the train left.

•A misplaced modifier is positioned far away from the word/phrase/clause it is

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 13

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 14

• This type of ambiguity is caused by homonymy and polysemy.

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 15

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 16

2. POSITIONING MODIFIERS CLOSE TO WORDS THEY MODIFY

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 17

4. REDUCE THE USE OF ADVERBS OF LIMIT OR USE THEM

• USE CLEARER REFERENCES

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 19

1. The man carried a light box.

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 21

1. The lecturer said on Monday, he will give an assignment.

Prepared by: Joy A. Agama, Department of AML&C (HTU) 16/01/2023 22

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