Structural Ambiguity - Syntax Video #3

Sometimes a single sentence has more than one meaning. A group of linguists explore prepositional phrase attachment ambiguity.

Twitter @lingvids

LingVids is created by Caroline Andrews, Leland Paul Kusmer, Gretchen McCulloch, and Joshua Levy.

LingVids is no longer being updated, but one of its creators is now cohosting a linguistics podcast called Lingthusiasm. You can listen to it on youtube, iTunes, soundcloud, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

[garrethkoslowski]

I just learned more in these 5 minutes than I did in 2 months of my syntax module in linguistics. You saved me from failing my exam this afternoon :) Thumbs up!

[ismatullorahimov]

OMG. Your explanation is amazing. Please continue this fabulous work!

[LeaRebecca]

Great video, I will use this in my introduction to syntax class!

[Sillilesshells]

it could also mean you wrote letters ( either of the alphabet or actual letters) onto the kitchen table :)?

[Queen-iwcu]

Thank you so much!! This makes so much more sense now :)

[sundlylin]

so (pls bare with me if my English is bad) Edna hit the yeti with a frying pan can be: 1. Edna used a frying pan to hit the yeti or 2. Edna Hit the yeti that has the frying pan

[ajbaalmotlaq]

When I draw the tree for the sentence should I draw 2 or one tree?

[fratferocious]

So how to solve this attachment problem?

[edebistans]

I couldnt find structural amb. still😢 lts really so difficult

[rajahm]

i want the solution of the two last bonus sentences, any help ?

[dianamarcelaperez]

excellent! very useful, thanks. Gracias! excelente, muy útil!!

[LaurieCawthorn]

brilliant presentation, , esl, , efl!

[purrrpl]

bro help with the last sentences? :'(

[putrifebriana]

thank you for your video it helps me from my exam, iam from 2019 :)

[ag]

How can we remove the ambiguity from the sentence,

[xpuroxodiox]

If I had wanted to make emphasis to the martian holding a telescope, I would have said "Ingrid saw a Martian with a telescope".
Since the sentence introduced in the video had the determiner "the" in it, I immediately paid attention to the object used to look at the martian (with a telescope), which indicates that it was Ingrid who was holding said artifact.
I don't think this sentence is all "that" ambiguous, at least in my opinion. What do you guys think?

[samuelraphael]

The background music is a real bad example of extraneous load...

[alublue]

Very simple and straightforward. Yet the lighting was a bit dark and the background music was so distracting. Great job though

[evanescence]

What grade do Americans learn this thing?

[prahladsaldanha]

What are the two meanings of "I bought this unicycle for my best friend"? I don't get it.