Consider the statement, "Last night, I shot an elephant in my pajamas." Since this sentence has at least two different interpretations (the pajamas could be worn by the person shooting the elephant OR they could be worn by the elephant), this means that this sentence has
A)two different deep structures and one surface structure
B)two different surface structures and one deep structure
C)two different surface structures and two different deep structures
D)one surface structure and one deep structure

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sentence has one surface structure, which is the arrangement of words as they are spoken or written, but it can be interpreted to have two different deep structures, which represent the underlying meanings or interpretations (the shooter wearing pajamas vs. the elephant wearing pajamas).

Consider the Statement, "Last Night, I Shot an Elephant in My