Let's say we could teach a dolphin to understand the difference between the sentences "The parrot kissed the dolphin" and "The dolphin kissed the parrot." If this were demonstrated,it might mean the dolphin had an understanding of:
A)phonemes.
B)morphemes.
C)syntax.
D)semantics.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the arrangement of words in a sentence to create well-formed phrases and sentences. Understanding the difference between "The parrot kissed the dolphin" and "The dolphin kissed the parrot" requires an understanding of syntax, because the word order determines the meaning of the sentence. The dolphin would not necessarily need to understand phonemes, which are the individual sounds that make up words, or morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning in a language. While understanding semantics, or the meaning of words and sentences, would be important for interpreting the situation, it is not necessarily required to distinguish between these two specific sentences.

Let's Say We Could Teach a Dolphin to Understand the Difference