Semantic Sentences

Truong Van Anh

HUFLIT
 Seven kinds of sentences
- Equative
- Generic
- Analytic
- Synthetic
- Contradiction
- Paraphrase (pair)
- Contradictory (pair)
 An EQUATIVE SENTENCE is one which is used to
assert the identity of the referents of two
referring expressions, i.e. to assert that two
referring expressions have the same referent.
The following are equative sentences:
• That woman over there is my daughter’s teacher.
• Quang Trung is Nguyen Hue.
> The two referring expressions can replace each
other.
A GENERIC SENTENCE is a sentence in which some
statement is made about a whole unrestricted
class of individuals, as opposed to any particular
individual.
Ex: The whale is a mammal (understood in the
most usual way) is a generic sentence.
That whale over there is a mammal is not a
generic sentence.
The cattle have four legs.
The poultry have two legs.
An ANALYTIC sentence is one that is necessarily TRUE,
as a result of the senses of the words in it. An analytic
sentence, therefore, reflects a tacit (unspoken)
agreement by speakers of the language about the
senses of the words in it.
Ex: All elephants are animals.
Gold is a precious metal.
A typhoon can destroy a large building.
> When we know exactly a sentence is true, it is an
analytic sentence.
 A SYNTHETIC sentence is one which is NOT
analytic, but may be either true or false,
depending on the way the world is.
Ex: John is from Ireland.
John is rich.
There is nothing in the senses of John or
Ireland or from which makes this necessarily
true or false.
When we don’t know if a sentence is right or
wrong, it is a synthetic sentence.
A CONTRADICTION is a sentence that is necessarily FALSE,
as a result of the senses of the words in it. Thus a
contradiction is in a way the opposite of an analytic
sentence.
Ex: “This animal is a vegetable” is a contradiction.
This must be false because of the senses of “animal “and
“vegetable”.
“Both of John’s parents are married to aunts of mine” is a
contradiction.
This must be false because of the senses of “both parents”,
“married”, and “aunt”.
Two sentences may be said to be PARAPHRASES of
each other if and only if they have exactly the
same set of ENTAILMENTS; or, which comes to the
same thing, if and only if they mutually entail each
other so that whenever one is true the other must
also be true.
It rains heavily The roads are wet.
One-way entailment
He supports us We are supported by him.
Two-way entailment
 A CONTRADICTORY sentence is antonym to
another sentence. It is impossible for both
propositions to be true at the same time and of
the same circumstances. Alternatively (and
equivalently) a sentence contradicts another
sentence if it entails the negation of the other
sentence.
Ex: This beetle is alive is a contradictory of This
beetle is dead.
Exercise: Answer the following questions with YES or
NO. If you think it is correct, circle the letter Y, if you
think it is incorrect, circle the letter N.
1. Is Einstein is a great man an equative sentence?
2. Is Our next guest is Dr Kunastrokins an equative
sentence?
3. Is A wasp makes its nest in a hole in a tree a generic
sentence?
4. Is That cat loves her child very much a generic
sentence?
5. Is Bachelors are unmarried an analytic sentence?
6. Is That boy is very generous an analytic sentence?
7. Is John killed Bill, who remained alive for many
years after a contradictory sentence?
8. Is Jack is right contradictory to Jack is wrong?
9. Is Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam a synthetic
sentence?
10. Is The girl has lived in a poor village a synthetic
sentence?
Good luck!