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1. Olay First Advertisement
THE BEST IN BEAUTY JUST GOT BETTER
In this phrase, the researcher finds three ambiguous words. They are best, beauty, and better. Firstly, the researcher analyzes the word beauty. Beauty is
described in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as a person or a thing that is beautiful. By considering the description of beauty that can be attached to a
person and also a thing, the sentence becomes ambiguous. 2005: 121. The advertisement shows a picture of a woman and a cosmetic product.
By considering these two pictures and also the definition of beauty mentioned above, the researcher finds out that beauty can refer to both the woman and the
cosmetic product. The meaning of beauty which refers to a person who is beautiful can be
seen as the best in woman just got better. This sentence can be understood as the best in woman, in the picture, who is beautiful, just got better.
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The meaning of beauty which refers to a thing that is beautiful can be seen as the best in Olay just got better. This sentence can be understood as the
best in Olay, the cosmetic product that is beautiful just got better. Based on the analysis above, the researcher concludes that the more
appropriate meaning of beauty in this sentence is a cosmetic product, Olay. It is due to the fact that the sentence and now with SPF 30, which is a substance,
explains about the cosmetic product. Therefore, the meaning is more appropriate, in this context, to be interpreted as cosmetic product, Olay.
Secondly, the other ambiguity found in the words best and better. These two words come from the same form of adjective, good. Best is the superlative
form of good while better is the comparative form. Besides, in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, best is described as the most excellent type of quality while
better is described as more able or skilled and more suitable or appropriate, not as bad as something else. 2005: 132.
Due to these two forms of good and also the definitions in the dictionary, the sentence is ambiguous. Both of them are modifying the same noun, beauty. It
makes the meaning of the sentence unclear. The meaning of the sentence, then, can be seen as the most excellent quality of beauty is more able or suitable. These
two modifiers are contradictory. It is unclear whether the beauty is the best or better.
Regarding the meaning discussed above, the researcher decides that the more suitable meaning between best and better in this sentence is better, more
able or skilled and more suitable or appropriate, not as bad as something else. It is PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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