phone. The word call also has two interpretations, there are: speaking or sharing with your friends in phone; and speaking or sharing with
your friend face to face. No addition context to one clear meaning of the words write and call makes both interpretation becomes true to be
used in this sentence. The unambiguous sentence are: − Write a letter to them and talk with them once in a while. if
write means write a letter, and call means talking or speaking or sharing with your friend face to face
− Write a message to them and call them in a phone once in a while. if write means write a message, and call means speaking
or sharing with your friends in phone
c. Improper or missing punctuation
According to Lamb, punctuation is “a series of marks which can be used to separate words and groups of words to make the
intended meaning clear and easy to follow” 2008: 1. 1
You’re not eating right backpack 4: 32 The sentence clearly contains homonym that is in the word
right. The word right has more than one meaning, there are: the word to seek agreement and correctly. The context of that sentence does not
focus on one meaning. So both interpretations can clearly apply in those sentences above.
− You’re not eating, right if right means as the word to seek agreement
− You’re not eating in the right place if it means correctly or good or right or true
2 People light candles or small oil lamps and leave them on
all night to drive away the darkness. backpack 4: 76 Sentence 2 is an instance of structural ambiguity. It is
ambiguous because it has more than one sentence construction.The unambiguous sentence are:
− People light candles or small oil lamps, and leave them on all night to drive away the darkness.
− People light candles; or small oil lamps and leave them on all night to drive away the darkness.
3 They are friendly and fun to play with. backpack 4: 5
Sentence 4 was an instance of structural ambiguity. It is ambiguous because have more than one sentence construction. The
unambiguous sentence are: − They are friendly, and fun to play with.
− They are friendly and fun to play with.
d. Faulty sentence construction
The faulty sentence construction is also a conclusion that can be drawn from surface structure ambiguity. There are:
1 I say I’m sorry if I get impatient or angry. backpack 4: 8
Sentence 1 is an instance of structural ambiguity. It is ambiguous because it has more than one sentence construction. The
writer tries to disambiguate that sentence as follows: − If I get impatient or angry, I say I’m sorry.
− If I get impatient, I say I’m sorry or I’ll be angry. 2
People eat a lot of seafood in Ecuador. backpack 4: 35 Sentence 2 is an instance of structural ambiguity. It is
ambiguous because it has more than one sentence construction. The writer tries to disambiguate that sentence as follows:
− People eat a lot of seafood that is made in Ecuador. − In Ecuador, people eat alot of seafood.
3 Black highlighter pen backpack 4: 68
Sentence 3 is an instance of structural ambiguity. It is ambiguous because it has more than one sentence construction. The
writer tries to disambiguate that sentence as follows: − Highlighter pen which is covered with black color
− Black highlighter which is shaped like a pen
4 You can take photos or build model planes. backpack 4:
86 Sentence 4 is an instance of structural ambiguity. It is
ambiguous because it has more than one sentence construction. The writer tries to disambiguate that sentence as follows:
− You can take photos that you like, or you can build model planes.
− You can take pothos of model planes, or you can build model plane.
− You can take photos of the real planes, or you can build model plane.
e. Dangling participles
