Why is the sentence,"He hit a man with a bagel" ambiguous?
A)It has more than one surface structure.
B)It has more than one deep structure.
C)It has no surface structure.
D)It has no deep structure.

Question

​Why is the sentence,"He hit a man with a bagel" ambiguous?
A)It has more than one surface structure.
B)​It has more than one deep structure.
C)​It has no surface structure.
D)​It has no deep structure.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sentence is ambiguous because it can have more than one interpretation of the deep structure. It is unclear whether the man was hit with a bagel or if he was hit by someone holding a bagel.

​Why Is the Sentence,"He Hit a Man with a Bagel

Why Is the Sentence,"He Hit a Man with a Bagel