SENSE RELATIONS EXERCISES
1. Identify homonyms and polysemes
Decide whether the following words are examples of homonymy or polysemy:
a) punch (a blow with the fist vs. an iced mixed drink usually containing alcohol)
- homonymy
b) file (a set of related records kept together vs. a steel hand tool with small sharp teeth)
- homonymy
c) purse (a small bag for carrying money vs. a sum of money offered as a prize)
- polysemy
d) steel (an alloy of iron with small amount of carbon vs. to get ready for something difficult or
unpleasant)
- homonymy
e) fan (a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface vs. an ardent follower or admirer)
- homonymy
f) tail (the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate vs. a spy employed to follow someone and report
their movements)
- polysemy
g) date (sweet edible fruit of the date palm vs. a meeting arranged in advance)
- homonymy
h) blind (unable to see vs. a protective covering that keeps things out or hinders sight)
- polysemy
i) tie (a neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material tied in knot at the front vs. to fasten or
secure with a rope, string, or cord)
- polysemy
j) graze (feed as in a meadow or pasture vs. break the skin by scraping)
- polysemy
2. Identify the correct lexical sense relation in the following pairs:
a) cheese – mozzarella: hyponymy
b) stretch – contract: binary antonymy
c) cent – scent: homophony
d) frozen – glaciated: partial synonymy
e) plastic – nylon: hyponymy
f) container – lid: hyponymy
g) perplexed – bewildered: true synonymy
h) child – adult: gradable antonymy
i) roof – tile (a material used for covering roofs): part-whole relationship (meronymy)
j) warn – worn: homophony
3. What is the semantic relationship between (or among) the following words? If it is antonymy,
specify the type of antonymy.
a) stop – go: binary antonymy
b) strong – weak: gradable antonymy
c) fast – slow: gradable antonymy
d) mammal: dog, cat, pig, cow: hyponymy/ multiple incompatible antonymy
e) get: obtain, become, buy: partial synonymy
f) crown: king or queen: hyponymy/ multiple incompatible antonymy
g) I saw the spring (season) - (metal coil): homonymy
h) vehicle: car, truck, SUV, bicycle: hyponymy/ multiple incompatible antonymy
i) take: grasp, carry, go (a specific way): hyponymy
j) alive – dead: binary antonymy
Identify the Figure of Speech
Read the following sentences and identify the figure of speech used.
1. The thief was as sly as a fox. Simile
2. Upon explanation, the concept was as clear as crystal to Rahul. Simile
3. The soldier jumped on the enemies like a hungry lion. Simile
4. The camel is the ship of the desert. Metaphor
5. The dentist had a severe toothache. Irony
6. Mr. Sharma thought the sweets were calling him. Personification
7. It seemed that the sky was going to cry the entire night. Personification
8. I would forgive you when pigs fly. Hyperpole
9. Man proposes; God disposes. Antithesis (opposite)
10. What a piece of work is, man! Exclamation
11. Death touched Miss David with its icy fingers. Personification
12. Sheldon is a walking dictionary. Metaphor
13. The sausages tasted awfully good. Oxymoron (two contradictory words are together in one phrase)
14. Sheena was as proud as a peacock. Simile
15. It has been raining cats and dogs for hours. Dead metaphor
Try this out for yourself. Mark up the text in the window by
selecting it and clicking the corresponding button for spatial
deixis and temporal deixis:
Another week over – and I am so many days nearer health,
and spring! I have now heard all my neighbour’s history, at
different sittings, as the housekeeper could spare time from
more important occupations. I’ll continue it in her own words,
only a little condensed. She is, on the whole a very fair
narrator and I don’t think I could improve her style.
In the evening, she said, the evening of my visit to the
Heights, I know, as well as if I saw him, that Mr Heathcliff was
about the place; and I shunned going out because
I still carried his letter in my pocket, and didn’t want to be
threathened, or teased anymore.
HUB FINAL TEST FORMAT – LỚP THẦY BẢO
PART 1
Câu 1: Identify the deictic expressions in the following utterances. If there is none, write NONE.
1. "I really admire people who can work in such difficult conditions."
2. "These days we're selling more and more of our products abroad."
Câu 2: Identify the predicates in the following sentences. Supply the degree of each predicate in
brackets. If there is none, write NONE.
e.g. The semantic test is easy. → semantic (1), test (1), easy (1)
1. They wanted a chance to work in this multicultural environment. => wanted (2), chance (1), work (1),
in (2), multicultural (1), environment (1)
2. The teacher distributed the books before assigning homework. => teacher (1), distributed (2), books
(1), before (2), assign (2), homework (1)
PART 2
Câu 3: Identify the referring expressions in the following utterances. (Imagine normal circumstances
for the utterance.) If there is none, write NONE.
1. “Killing too many animals will cause a lot of environmental problems." NONE
2. "Last week a friend of mine challenged me to a game of tennis."
Câu 4: Identify the predicators in the following sentences. (Imagine normal circumstances for the
utterances.) If there is none, write NONE.
1. Killing too many animals will cause a lot of environmental problems.
2. Last week a friend of mine challenged me to a game of tennis.
PART 3
Câu 5: Are the following sentences analytic (A), synthetic (S), or a contradictory (C)? Write A or S or C.
1. One hundred thirty percent of the teenagers in the survey said they preferred K-pop to US-UK. S
2. Los Angeles is a city in the USA. A
Câu 6: Are the following sentences generic (G), equative (E), or none of these kinds (N)? Write G, E, or
N.
1. Each month, Netflix adds new movies and TV shows to its library. N
2. Peganini is my line manager. E
Câu 7: Identify the relationship (hyponymy, homonymy, synonymy, binary antonymy, gradable
antonymy, converseness, multiple incompatibility, polysemy) of each pair of words. The words given in
brackets are to clarify the meaning in question of the italicized words.
1. allow – ban => binary antonymy
2. comfortable – uncomfortable => gradable antonymy
3. revenue – income => synonymy
4. living creature – plant => hyponymy
PART 4
Câu 8: Write a paraphrase of the following sentence.
The new headphones have no cables.
The new headphones lack cables.
There are no cables attached to the new headphones.
Câu 9: Write a sentence which is entailed by the following sentence.
Victoria is the busiest underground station.
Victoria is the most crowded station, which is located/built underneath the ground.
Câu 10: Write a contradiction of the following sentence
Participants in the event have to complete the course in 90 hours.
Participants in the event don’t have to complete the course in 90 hours.
Câu 11: Explain the ambiguity in the following sentence by supplying two possible paraphrases.
Identify if the sentence is an example of structural or lexical ambiguity.
They can fish.
They are able to go fishing/catch fish.
They put fish in the can.
PART 5
Fill in the gap with ONE missing word.
Câu 12
Extension is like reference and unlike sense, in that it connects a linguistic unit, such as a word or
expression to something non-linguistic (i.e. outside language).
Câu 13
A(n) prototype of a predicate is the most typical member of the extension of a predicate.
Câu 14
"Potatoes contain a lot of vitamin C." is a(n) analytic sentence.
Câu 15
True synonymy likely does not exist, although some cases are close: sofa, couch, and davenport seem
very similar in meaning to most people
