88
Table 4.2. Structural Ambiguity Table
No Word
Parts of Speech NP
VP AdjP
AdvP PP
1. several current leaders and government
officials v
2. his sister and brother’s in law’s party
v 3.
increased healthcare and living expenditure
v 4.
safe house arrangements v
5. numerous seas and islands
v 6.
foreign policy roadmap v
7. mutual respect and understanding
v
From data served in Table 4.2, it could be seen that 100 of the structural ambiguity phrases are in form of noun phrase. Seen from the two categories,
lexical and structural ambiguity, noun possessed great proportions of the data. While 100 of the data in structural ambiguity is in noun phrase, in lexical
ambiguity it also dominated the data 86.
B. Tree Diagram Analysis
This point would answer the third question of the research. There were seven ambiguous phrases found in the research. The researcher analyzed the
structural ambiguity using tree diagram to help the researcher in visualizing the interpretation in structural ambiguity. All of the ambiguities found in the research
were in the form of noun phrase. Therefore, the researcher would only analyze the ambiguous noun phrase using the tree diagram instead of the full sentence.
89 By using the tree diagram, the researcher found it easier to understand and
also to show the differences of the interpretations of the ambiguous noun phrases. 1.
The corrupt practices of several current leaders and government officials have already cost Indonesia much more. Text your say: Haj pilgrimage
postponement on July 1, 2013
As it is explained previously, the sentence which is taken from Text your say section is ambiguous. The noun phrase several current leaders and
government officials causes the sentence to be ambiguous since it can be interpreted in two ways. For better understanding, the researcher uses the tree
diagram. Both interpretations are presented in Figure 4.3 and Figure 4.4.
Figure 4.3 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 1
From the Figure 4.3, it can be seen that the adjective phrase ‘several current’ is attached to the noun phrase leaders and government officials which
means that the noun phrase several current leaders and government officials can be interpreted as several current leaders and several current government officials.
90
Figure 4.4 Second Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 1
Different from Figure 4.3, in Figure 4.4, we can see that the adjective several current attached to the noun leaders and construct the noun phrase which
is connected to the noun phrase government officials by conjunction and.
2. He is joining his sister and brother in law’s party Text your say: Yet, another General joins Dems on July 3, 2013
This sentence is kind of structural ambiguous because of the noun phrase his sister and brother in law. That noun phrase has two different meanings that
can be seen in Figure 4.5 and Figure 4.6.
Figure 4.5 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 2
Figure 4.5 shows the first interpretation of the noun phrase his sister and brother in law’s party. This tree diagram shows that the possessive noun party is
91 attached to the noun brother in law and makes a unity of noun phrase brother in
law’s party. In this case, it could be inferred that the noun phrase his sister and brother in law’s party means his sister and a party owned by his brother in law.
Figure 4.6 Second Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 2
The second explanation of the noun phrase his sister and brother in law’s party is presented in Figure 4.6. Different from the Figure 4.5, the noun his sister
and his brother in law are joined together by conjunction and then attached to possessive noun party. This condition will make difference in terms of meaning,
as the noun phrase will be interpreted as the party the subject joined is owned by his sister and his brother in law.
3. The visible cost of haze at least includes increased healthcare and living
expenditure, working productivity losses, commercial losses from certain industries especially tourism. Your letter: Compensation for the haze? on
July 3, 2013
This sentence is structurally ambiguous. The ambiguity rose because of the noun phrase increased healthcare and living expenditure. There are two
92 interpretations that can be derived from the noun phrase. Both will be explained
clearly with tree diagram as seen in Figure 4.7 and Figure 4.8.
Figure 4.7 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 3
Figure 4.7 shows the first interpretation of noun phrase increased healthcare and living expenditure. It can be seen that adjective increased modifies
the noun healthcare and not connected to the noun phrase living expenditure. The two noun phrase increased healthcare and living expenditure are joined by
conjunction and. From seeing the tree diagram in Figure 4.7 and reading the explanation, it can be concluded that the first interpretation of the noun phrase
increased healthcare and living expenditure is healthcare which is increased and living expenditure which is not increased.
Figure 4.8 Second Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 3
The second interpretation of the noun phrase increased healthcare and living expenditure is presented in Figure 4.8. Different from Figure 4.7, the
93 adjective increased modifies the unity of noun phrase healthcare and living
expenditure. Therefore, it can be concluded that the adjective increased does not only modify the noun healthcare but also living expenditure.
4. But at the same time made “safe house arrangements” for Osama bin Laden
right next to the PMA in Abbottabad. Your letter: Indian problem with Pakistan on July 5, 2013
The sentence is taken from a letter commenting on problems between Indian and Pakistan. In the sentence, the researcher finds that the noun phrase safe
house arrangements is ambiguous. The researcher thinks so, because the noun phrase has double meanings. There are two meanings that can be interpreted from
the sentence. The two meanings can be seen in Figure 4.8 and Figure 4.9. The researcher is using tree diagram, because the researcher believes that the structural
ambiguity can be easily understood and the difference can be easily noticed, too.
Figure 4.9 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 4
In the first interpretation, which is shown in Figure 4.9, the researcher sees that the adjective safe is connected to the noun house resulting the noun phrase
safe house which means house which is safe. Combining with the noun arrangements, the meaning of the noun phrase would be arrangements of house
which is safe.
94
Figure 4.10 Second Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 4
Different tree diagram makes different meaning or interpretation. If in the first interpretation the noun phrase is interpreted as arrangements of house which
is safe, the second interpretation would be house arrangements which are safe. This can be so, because as it is seen in the Figure 4.10, the adjective safe modifies
the noun phrase house arrangements. 5.
Having numerous island and seas makes Indonesia very rich. Issue of the day: Geothermal dream may never be a reality on July 6, 2013
Taken from Issue of the Day section, this sentence is also kind of structurally ambiguous. The noun phrase numerous island and seas makes the
sentence ambiguous. The researcher would like to analyses the phrase using tree diagram as seen in Figure 4.11 and Figure 4.12.
Figure 4.11 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 5
95 Figure 4.11 shows the first tree diagram of the noun phrase ‘numerous
island and seas’. From the tree, it can be seen that adjective numerous modifies the noun phrase island and seas. Therefore the interpretation would be numerous
island and seas.
Figure 4.12 Second Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 5
On the other hand, Figure 4.12 shows different interpretation. From the tree diagram, we can see that the adjective numerous only modifies the noun
island, then the noun phrase numerous island is connected with noun seas using the conjunction and. Therefore it can be seen the meaning of the noun phrase
would be numerous islands and seas. 6.
At a time when there was a possibility of a meeting between PM Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September and while
unveiling Pakistan’s foreign policy roadmap, Prime Minister Nawas Sharif
has vowed to “progressively pursue” normalcy in ties with India while actively seeking solutions to outstanding issues, including Kashmir, such
propaganda could blemish the efforts being made in good faith by both sides.
Your letter: Pakistani embassy respond on July, 6 2013
96 This long sentence becomes ambiguous because of the ambiguous noun
phrase foreign policy roadmap. The structurally ambiguous noun phrase will be analyzed using tree diagram in Figure 4.13 and Figure 4.14.
Figure 4.13 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 6
This noun phrase has the same pattern as what have been discussed in point 4. The adjective foreign modifies the noun policy. It produces the noun
phrase foreign policy which is combined with noun roadmap. As the result, the noun phrase is interpreted as roadmap of foreign policy. Another interpretation of
the noun phrase foreign policy roadmap is presented in Figure 4.14
Figure 4.14 Second Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 6
Figure 4.14 shows another meaning that can be interpreted from the noun phrase foreign policy roadmap. The adjective foreign in this tree diagram
modifies the noun phrase policy roadmap. Therefore the noun phrase can be interpreted as policy roadmap which is foreign.
97 7.
We must give our governments a chance and the confidence to bury the acrimonious past and endeavor to live in peace and amity and encourage
relations based on mutual respect and understanding. Your letter: Pakistani embassy respond on July, 6 2013
The last structural ambiguity found in the research still deals with the noun phrase. Both interpretation of the noun phrase mutual respect and understanding
are presented in Figure 4.15 and Figure 4.16.
Figure 4.15 First Tree Diagram of Structural Ambiguity Point 7
This type of structural ambiguity has been discussed previously in point 4 and lots previously. In this case, the placement of the adjective mutual causes
ambiguity. It is so, because the adjective mutual can be attached to more than one entry. In Figure 4.15, the adjective mutual is attached to the noun respect which
makes the sentence means like it is written mutual respect and understanding.
Figure 4.16 Second Diagram Tree of Structural Ambiguity Point 7
98 On the other hand, in Figure 4.16, another interpretation is presented. The
adjective mutual modifies the noun phrase respect and understanding. The result of the modification would affect the meaning. Therefore the meaning would be
mutual meaning and mutual interpretation. Having solved the three research questions that became the reason for
conducting this study, the researcher found that from one week’s edition of The Jakarta Post newspaper especially from Reader’s Forum section taken from its
official website, there were 7 phrases that were considered structurally ambiguous and 47 words that were considered lexically ambiguous. By seeing the frequency
of the ambiguity, it could be said that 21 ambiguous words were nouns, 17 ambiguous words were adjective, and the rest, 9 ambiguous words, were verbs.
On the other hand, all of structurally ambiguous phrases were in form noun phrases.
In this research, tree diagrams were used to solve structural ambiguities. It was proved that tree diagrams enable people to visualize the structurally
ambiguous phrase. By doing so, the reader could understand the interpretations of the ambiguous phrases or sentences and make judgment. The researcher could
also reveal the structural ambiguities pattern by using tree diagrams. In the research, there were two patterns of structurally ambiguous noun phrases that
occur more than once. The first patern was the combination of adjectives and two nouns which was joined by the conjunction and. The example of the noun phrase
was numerous seas and islands. The second pattern was the combination of
99 adjectives and compund noun. The example of the noun phrase was safe house
arrangements. Despite the numerous ambiguities found in the research, some ambiguities
in the research only caused slightly different interpretation. That fact might cause the reader unaware. However, the researcher felt that some unsolved ambiguities
are not neccessary to be confirmed. On the other hand, some others which have far different interpretations needed confirmation in order to have the writers’
intended meaning.
100
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter aims to conclude the research and give recommendations for future researcher. This chapter consists of two sections, namely Conclusions and
Recommendations.
A. Conclusions
Based on the results and discussion which were presented in Chapter IV, the researcher draws the following conclusions that would answer the research
questions formulated in Chapter I. In order to answer the first and second research question: What words are
lexically ambiguous in Reader’s Forum section of The Jakarta Post newspaper? What phrases are structurally ambiguous in Reader’s Forum section of The
Jakarta Post newspaper? The researcher found out that the data consist of ambiguous words and phrases. There were 47 words and 7 phrases that were
considered to be ambiguous. The researcher concluded that based on the data analysis, in lexical ambiguities cases, the most ambiguous part of speech occurred
was noun. The ambiguous words that belonged to noun class were 21 words, while 9 of them belonged to verb class, and the rest, 17 words, belonged to
adjective. The researcher found 54 ambiguities consisted of structural and lexical ambiguity. The researcher did not find any lexical ambiguity that belonged to
pronoun, adverbs, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The lexical
