1. Are the following claims vague or ambiguous or both? If vague, explain why. Ifambiguous, state whether it is a case of amphibole (syntactic ambiguity) orsemantic ambiguity, and provide at least two alternative interpretations.
a.Jennifer is a wealthy woman.
b.Vitamin E is good for aging people.
c.[from Shakespeare's Henry VI] The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose.
2. The following are 'medical bloopers' that were circulated on a list that claimedthat 'this varicose vein of anguished English has in no way been doctored.' Ineach case, diagnose the problem (vagueness, ambiguity, or something else) and, ifpossible, rewrite the medical comment to make it clear and precise.
a.The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.
b.The patient refused an autopsy.
3. Each of the following claims has two plausible senses that might easily give rise toequivocation or a verbal dispute. To practise avoiding such problems, distinguishthe senses and express each interpretation in a way that makes it clearer than theoriginal.
a.Convicted criminals must be made to pay for their crimes.
b. Life continues after death.
c. Enabling legislation should be introduced to make euthanasia possible.
4.The following arguments involve instances of ambiguity, vagueness, or equivocation.Diagram the arguments and discuss the seriousness of the problem with language.Are we able to use context to resolve the vagueness or ambiguity?
a.Every society is, of course, repressive to some extent. As Sigmund Freudpointed out, repression is the price we pay for civilization.
b.[Rt Hon. David Blunkett, home secretary of Great Britain, in 'Integrationwith Diversity: Globalisation and the Renewal of Democracy and Civil Society',Rethinking Britishness (The Foreign Policy Centre, 16 Sept. 2002)] Themilitary engagement in Afghanistan illustrates not a war of competing civilisations,but a defence of democratic states from terrorist attacks sponsored bydeep oppression and brutalisation. But democracy is not only defended inmilitary terms —it is defended in depth through the commitment of its citizensto its basic values. When the people of New York pulled together after11 September, they were displaying not just mutual sympathy, support, andsolidarity, but a patriotic commitment to their democracy. By that I meanpatriotism in its most decent, and deeply expressed sense, of civil virtue—acommitment to one's community, its values and institutions.It follows that the strongest defence of democracy resides in the engagementof every citizen with the community, from activity in the neighbourhood,through to participation in formal politics.
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