1. Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.”
2. “What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing!”
These sentences may be lexically or structurally ambiguous. Paraphrase each in two ways.
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What sentences do YOU suggest?
Is the cow a non-smoker/drinker?
Does the handsome man look better without any clothes?
How can you change your sentences to avoid the above interpretations?
1. Lexical ambiguity:
- "Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink."
- Paraphrase 1: Seeking a man to care for a cow that doesn't engage in any smoking or drinking activities.
- Paraphrase 2: In need of a man to look after a cow who himself refrains from smoking or drinking.
2. Structural ambiguity:
- "What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing!"
- Paraphrase 1: There is nothing that enhances the appearance of a handsome man more than a tuxedo.
- Paraphrase 2: No other clothing item can compare to a tuxedo in terms of enhancing the attractiveness of a handsome man.
1. Sentence: "Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink."
Paraphrase 1: "A man is needed to look after a cow that doesn't engage in smoking or drinking."
To paraphrase this sentence, we can remove the ambiguity by rephrasing it to explicitly state that the cow is the one who does not smoke or drink, indicating that the man is required to care for the cow.
Paraphrase 2: "Wanted: Man who does not smoke or drink to take care of a cow."
Another way to paraphrase the sentence is by focusing on the qualities of the person. Instead of emphasizing the cow's behavior, we highlight that the man should not smoke or drink, while still mentioning the cow that needs to be taken care of.
2. Sentence: "What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing!"
Paraphrase 1: "Nothing enhances the appearance of a handsome man more than a tuxedo."
To paraphrase this sentence, we can rephrase it to clarify that there is nothing that can improve the appearance of a handsome man more than wearing a tuxedo.
Paraphrase 2: "A tuxedo is the ultimate style choice for a handsome man."
In this rephrasing, we shift the focus to emphasize that a tuxedo is the best fashion option for a handsome man, implying that nothing else would look better on him.