Semantics

Assignment No.1
Solved
Analysis and Description of Meanings
Exercise:
1. a Rose is married to Tom.
1. b Rose is Tom’s wife.
There is a True meaning relation between these sentences, as the first
sentence tells that there is a person called Rose who is married to Tom
and the second sentence entails/relates its meaning by telling that Rose
the same person mentioned above is Tom’s wife. They are same in
meaning, thus, are paraphrases.
2. a David is an unmarried adult male.
2. b David is a bachelor.
There is a True meaning relation between these sentences, as the
second sentence entails the meaning of the first sentence, saying that
there is a person named David who is a male, is an adult and is
unmarried which in simple terms is called a bachelor. So, both of the
sentences are talking about the same David. Thus, this is entailment.
3. a This knife is too dull to cut the rope.
3. b This knife isn’t sharp enough to cut the rope.
There is a True meaning relation between these sentences, as the
second sentence entails the meaning of the first sentence, by telling that
a particular knife discussed in both sentences is too dull/not sharp
enough to cut a rope. Thus, this is entailment.
4. a Victoria likes to sing.
4. b Victoria doesn’t sing.
There is a False meaning relation between these sentences, as in the
first one it is said that there is a person Victoria who likes to sing but in
the second sentence there is a contradictory statement saying that the
same Victoria does not sing, the meaning of these two do not relate or
entail from one another, thus, it is false having contradictory meaning.
5. a Harold has been here for an hour.
5. b Harold is tired of waiting.
There is a False meaning relation between these sentences, as in the
first sentence it is said that there is a person Harold who has been
somewhere for an hour while in the second sentence the same person
Harold is said to be tired of waiting. The contradiction or complication
occurs here that we do not know if Harold is waiting in the first
sentence, he can be somewhere for an hour in general not necessarily
that he is waiting for someone, he can possibly be at a gathering or
anywhere, where he had to stay for an hour but it does not suggest that
he was waiting, while in the second sentence Harold is tired of waiting,
here we are not sure if this wait that he is tired from was of an hour
discussed in the first sentence, it may be of even ten minutes, so, there is
a slight complication due to which the second sentence does not entail
the meaning of the first sentence properly. It could only be true if in the
second sentence it has been clarified that Harold was tired of waiting for
an hour, but without that information the two sentences remain separate
in their meanings. But considering it as a presupposition, we can say
that there is a True meaning relation between the sentences.
6. a Mr. Bond has given up smoking.
6. b Mr. Bond used to smoke.
There is a True meaning relation between these sentences, as in the
first sentence it is said that there is a person Mr. Bond who has given up
smoking and the second sentence entails the meaning of the first
sentence by telling that the same Mr. Bond used to smoke which relates
to the meaning of the first sentence.
 7. a Mr. Bond still smokes.
7. b Mr. Bond used to smoke.
There is a False meaning relation between these sentence, as the first
sentence tells about a person Mr. Bond who still in the present smokes
but the second sentence does not entail its meaning as it tells that Mr.
Bond used to smoke as in the past making it contradictory in meaning
from the first sentence, thus, it is false.
8. a Oil paintings are more expensive than watercolours.
8. b Watercolours cost more than oil paintings.
There is a False meaning relation between these sentences, as the first
sentence tells that the Oil paintings are more expensive than the
watercolours while in the second sentence it is said that the watercolours
cast more than the Oil paintings, making it entirely opposite in meaning
to the first sentence, as in both sentences the Oil paintings and
watercolours are said to more expensive in comparison to each other.
9. a The Carlson Hotel is more than a century old.
9. b The Carlson Hotel has operated for more than a century.
There is a True meaning relation between these sentences, as the first
sentence tells about a certain Carlson Hotel that is more than a century
old and the second sentence entails the meaning of the first sentence by
telling that the same Carlson Hotel has operated for over more than a
century, thus both sentences are entailing each other’s meaning.
10. a Alice invited some friends to lunch.
10. b Alice has friends.
There is a True meaning relation between these sentences, as the first
sentence tells about a person Alice who has invited her friends to lunch
and the second sentence entails the meaning of the first sentence by
telling that the same Alice has friends, the very friends whom she had
invited are being talked about here in the second sentence.