Exam 3: Clear Thinking,critical Thinking,and Clear Writing

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:From an accident report:In my attempts to kill a fly I drove into a telephone pole.

Indicate whether this informal definition is by example,by synonym,or analytical:Interest is an amount paid for the use of borrowed money.

Determine whether the claim in the following is too vague in the context that is stated or implied:From a gardening book:"Horse manure is many times more beneficial to your garden than that from cows."

For "educators," provide an analytical definition that is unflattering.

Determine whether the claim in the following is too vague in the context that is stated or implied:Property owner,showing his property to a potential buyer:"The lot extends back to about where that large oak tree stands."

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. "Is evolution a fact?"

Classify the following definition according to its use:to reduce vagueness,to introduce or explain a new or unusual word,to evoke an attitude about something,or to accomplish some other purpose. "Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read."-Frank Zappa

Using a name or description of an item that you can't point to,provide a definition by example for "thing." If you have difficulty doing so,try to identify the source of the trouble.

Determine whether the claim in the following is too vague in the context that is stated or implied:Said at a party:"What did I think of the concert? I thought it was pretty good.You should have been there."

Exercise:Are you familiar with the word,"besotted"? Provide a definition.If the term is unfamiliar,make a guess about its meaning based on its appearance or sound,and create your own definition.Then look the word up,and find out how close you got.(We provide a thumbnail meaning as answer. )

Considering the context in which it was most likely uttered,would you say the following claim is ambiguous,too vague,or neither? doctor:The arrhythmia you are experiencing indicates that you should lay off jogging for a while.

Classify the following definition according to its use:to reduce vagueness,to introduce or explain a new or unusual word,to evoke an attitude about something,or to accomplish some other purpose. "...what we call temperature is nothing else but a measurement of the degree of molecular agitation [in a substance]."-George Gamow,One,Two,Three...Infinity

Classify the following definition according to its use:to reduce vagueness,to introduce or explain a new or unusual word,to evoke an attitude about something,or to accomplish some other purpose. No,as far as the bus company is concerned,you count as a senior citizen only after you've reached sixty-five.You won't be able to get the discount fare for three more years.

Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning? She was a.well-traveled. b.tired. c.exhausted. d.shopworn.

Classify the following definition according to its use:to reduce vagueness,to introduce or explain a new or unusual word,to evoke an attitude about something,or to accomplish some other purpose. "In the category of economically privileged,we shall include families with total annual incomes of $75,000 or more."-Sarah Hartford and Samuel Cohen,Trends in College Admissions

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:Susan got in trouble for messing up the house with her younger sister.

Make up a claim and a couple of contexts for it so that the claim is too vague in one context but sufficiently precise in the other.

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities),syntactically ambiguous,or free from ambiguity:The wizard made a pig of himself.

Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning.Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these problems.We've said (a)= (b)when (a)and (b)seem equally favorable to us. Personally,I find Harold very a.agreeable. b.congenial. c.manageable. d.submissive. e.flexible. f.yielding.

For "playboy," provide an analytical definition that is unflattering.