Ambiguous sentences

Ambiguous sentences

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
This task is about ambiguous sentences.
When an expression or word is ambiguous, it has more than one meaning.
Read the following sentences.
Explain why the sentence is ambiguous and then write a clearer sentence that is not ambiguous.

Question 1Change answer

a) "The track was very rough and he slipped and nearly broke his finger, in several places."
The sentence is ambiguous because:
Improved sentence:

Question 1Change answer

b)  "Do not ruin your computer by fiddling with it; let us do it for you."
The sentence is ambiguous because:
Improved sentence:

Question 1Change answer

c)  "We have a fridge for storing bread that was made thirty years ago."
The sentence is ambiguous because:
Improved sentence:
Task administration: 
This task can be completed by pencil and paper and ONLINE with NO automarking.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Key Competencies: 
Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
editing, ambiguity, sentences, grammar use, sentence structure
Description of task: 
Students explain why three sentences are ambiguous and rewrite them to make the meaning clearer.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students’ ability to create texts to meet the writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum.
 

Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:
  • use a variety of sentences that are grammatically correct
as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.

 

Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Writing meaningful text: encoding, set 7
within the Writing Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
  

Y5 (3/2000)
a) It is unclear whether the word "places" refers to the track or the finger.
Reorder sentence: e.g., The track was very rough in several places and when he slipped he nearly broke his finger.		 difficult
moderate
b)
It is unclear who might damage the computer. 
Insert: repair/fix in place of "do".
 difficult
difficult
c) It is unclear whether the bread or the fridge was 30 years old.
Reorder sentence: e.g., We have a 30 year old fridge for storing bread.		 difficult
difficult