Web Activity 9.3 When do ambiguities pose processing problems?

Understanding Sentence Structure and Meaning

Rate the processing difficulty of each of the following sentences on a scale of 1 to 3, in which 1 is “perfectly smooth to process,” 2 is “somewhat awkward to process,” and 3 is “definitely difficult to process.”

  • The assault victim recognized the suspect with the moon-shaped scar.
  • Before Donald sewed the blouse with the fancy ruffles fell to the ground.
  • The flowers delivered to the office were from a mysterious admirer.
  • The student admitted her paper was plagiarized.
  • All of last year, Loren was writing a novel and a collection of short stories sat untouched.
  • The lawyer obtained the documents when he met with his client.
  • The beauty queen accepted the prize was awarded by a corrupt jury.
  • Joanna planted a fig tree and Cassy dug out the rhododendron bush.
  • Carefully, the thief pried open the door with a heavy hinge.
  • Francey told the boss she recently made some fresh donuts the story of her first marriage.
  • The students passed the first time should have felt grateful.
  • As daylight dwindled the party-goers dispersed.
  • Biljana gave the daughter she loved a locket.
  • The journalist claimed the falsified report when she collected her files from the office.

Look back at your scored sentences. Are there some pairs of sentences that have a similar structure, but to which you assigned different scores? If so, try to generate some ideas about why one sentence was easier/harder than the other. 

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