The primary reason this sentence is ambiguous is because of the unclear placement and use of the word "right." In the English language, the word "right" can mean two very different things.
The first meaning of "right" relates to truth. To do something the "right" way is to do it correctly or as it was intended to be done.
The second meaning of "right" is directional. It indicates which side one should physically move toward:...
The primary reason this sentence is ambiguous is because of the unclear placement and use of the word "right." In the English language, the word "right" can mean two very different things.
The first meaning of "right" relates to truth. To do something the "right" way is to do it correctly or as it was intended to be done.
The second meaning of "right" is directional. It indicates which side one should physically move toward: "right" as opposed to "left."
Thus, the first meaning of the sentence instructs "you" to make the correct turn at the intersection. The second meaning of the sentence instructs "you" to turn right literally onto a particular street.
Unfortunately, with this sentence standing alone, we don't have any context that could help us determine what meaning is actually intended. Thus, the sentence is a poorly constructed one as it leaves too much to interpretation.
No comments:
Post a Comment