semantic1 ôn thi môn semantic cấp tốc không tốn nhiều thời gian

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AUTHOR "Laurel
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"Preface">
English
The
Grammatical
Lexical
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Semantics">
Consonants
Phonology,
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Structure
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Phonotactics,
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Word
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TITLE "Chapter 6. Lexical Semantics"

SUBJECT "The Structure of Modern English"

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Chapter 6

Lexical Semantics

Exercise 6.1: Traditional Semantics

1. Consult a number of dictionaries on the meaning of the word hero.
Then consider the meaning of the word in contemporary usage (in
magazines, newspapers, and casual conversation). Does the dictionary
meaning reflect the current meaning, or would you say that the meaning has changed and that dictionaries have not kept pace with this
change?
2. For the following words, explain the background or contextual information which is necessary to understand the meaning of the word.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

reconcile
generous
procrastinate
patient
reputation

3. Discuss the following expressions in respect to the concepts of extention and intension:
(a)
(b)
(c)

the instructor of Linguistics 101
the day before yesterday
the capital of Brazil

Exercise 6.1
Workbook, Page 106

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.2: Basic Semantic Concepts

1. For the following words, list as many synonyms as you can think of and
discuss the connotations that these synonyms have.
(a)
(b)

frugal
thin (of a person)

2. Fill in the columns below with the appropriate synonym. In each case,
the word in column A is of English origin and the word in column B is
of French or Latin origin. Can you make a general statement about the
connotations of the words in columns A and B?
A
feed
____________
____________

begin
____________
mistake
____________
____________
middle
____________

B
____________
conceal
people
____________
aid/assist
____________
labor
vision
____________
altitude

3. Describe the semantic relationship expressed by each of the following
sentences.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)

(i)
(j)

I’m allergic to nuts. There are walnuts in the cookies.
Flight 2048 arrives and departs at 8:00 a.m.
George is a pig.
That is a large bat.
I appreciate your help. You helped me.
That is a well-known club.
My brother married a doctor. My male sibling joined in
wedlock with a physician.
In walked the corpse.
The corpse is alive.
Professor Mulhausen went to his office. Professor Mulhausen

Exercise 6.2
Workbook, Page 107

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


went to the university.
(k) He cleaned the keys of the piano.
(l) They have a love-hate relationship.
(m) The escaping convict accidentally assassinated the guard.
(n) Jane ate a piece of chicken. Jane ate a piece of poultry.
(o) My husband is living. I am a widow.
(p) She stepped on an idea.
(q) Edith amused the salad.

(r) My brother is an only child.
(s) He unintentionally committed perjury.
(t) She wore a colorless pink dress.
(u) He dusted the plants.
(v) Othello killed Desdemona. Desdemona died.
(w) He descended from the ground floor to the attic.
4. Determine whether the following are cases of homophony or polysemy.
(a)

fine

(b) bank
(c)

monitor

(d) tattoo
(e)

school

(f)

leech

(g) horn
(h) ear
(i)

spell

Exercise 6.2
Workbook, Page 108

‘superior in quality’
‘a sum of money paid as a penalty’
‘an incline of land adjoining a river’
‘a financial institution’
‘a pupil who assists a teacher’
‘a device that receives video signals from a computer’
‘a permanent design on the skin’
‘a military exercise’
‘an institution for instruction’
‘a large group of fish’
‘a bloodsucking worm’
‘a physician’
‘a hanger-on, a sycophant’
‘a structure projecting from the head of an animal’
‘a musical instrument’
‘the organ for hearing’
‘the seed-bearing spike of a cereal plant’
‘to name or write the order of the letters in a word’
‘a magical formula’
‘a period of time’
Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


(j)

butt

(k) pilot

‘to hit with the head’
‘a target (for jokes)’
‘the larger or thicker end of an object’
‘one who operates an aircraft or ship’
‘a television program produced as a prototype of a
series’

5. Say what is presupposed by each of the following sentences.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

Is Frank playing that loud music?
What I want for my birthday is a new computer.
Alistair didn’t go to work today.
Grace stopped playing the piano several years ago.
When did Tara go back to school?
Sally renewed her subscription to People magazine.

6. Which of the following are factive and which nonfactive?
(a)
(b)
(c)

(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)

John criticized Mark for not working hard enough.
John acknowledged that Mark was not working hard enough.
I was hoping that the game was cancelled.
It turns out that the game was cancelled.
The student forgot that the assignment was due today.
The student assumed that the assignment was due today.
It’s nice that you could get away.
It’s nice to get away.
I realized that he had stolen the money.
I suspected that he had stolen the money.

Exercise 6.2
Workbook, Page 109

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.3: Structural Semantics

1. Identify the superordinate term in each set.
(a)

(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

house, shed, building, garage, cottage, hut
plate, saucer, cup, soup bowl, dish, serving bowl
stream, river, rivulet, creek, brook, tributary
glance, peep, stare, leer, look (at), view, watch
hurricane, tornado, gale, storm, typhoon

2. Identify the relationship of oppositeness expressed in the following
sentences.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)

The window pane is open, but it should be shut.
This class is better than last year’s class.
This painting is similar to that one.
He pushed the lever forwards instead of backwards.
This plant was sick, but now it’s healthy.
My poor relatives envy my rich relatives.
Western Bank merged with Eastern Bank.
It is better to give than to receive.

3. Below is one member of a set of scalar adjectives. Identify the other
member of the set; if an alternative member exists (in a different
context), list that as well.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

hard
strong
short
happy
light
cheap

4. Give the end-of-scale equivalents for these normal scalar adjectives
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

tired
wet
poor
sad
hot

Exercise 6.3
Workbook, Page 110

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


5. Name the structural relation expressed by each of the following pairs of
words.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)

casual/informal
parent/offspring
university/college
right/wrong
right/left
odd/even

odd/unusual
bring/take
rude/polite
wind/breeze
moist/damp
present/absent
fair/foul (ball)

(n)
(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)
(u)
(v)
(w)
(x)
(y)

intelligent/smart
employ/use
mathematics/history
glass/tumbler
doctor/patient
own/belong to
ancestor/descendant
predator/prey
benefactor/donor

enter/leave
rise/fall
dress/undress

6. Identify whether the following pairs are examples of antonymy or
complementary. Are these concepts gradable?
(a)
(b)
(c)

clean/dirty
drunk/sober
fresh/stale

Exercise 6.3
Workbook, Page 111

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.4: Semantic Fields

Related to the concept of hyponymy, but more loosely defined, is the
notion of a semantic field or domain. A semantic field denotes a segment
of reality symbolized by a set of related words. The words in a semantic
field share a common semantic property. Most often, fields are defined by
subject matter, such as body parts, landforms, diseases, colors, foods, or
kinship relations. Internally, these may be organized hierarchically (e.g.,
royalty, military ranks), part to whole (e.g., body parts), sequentially (e.g.,

numbers), or cyclically (e.g., days of the week, months of the year), as well
as with no discernible order. A thesaurus is generally organized according
to substantive fields (although it also makes use of hyponymy and synonymy).
The words which are part of a semantic field enter into sense or meaning relationships with one another. Each word delimits the meaning of the
next word in the field and is delimited by it; that is, it marks off an area or
range within the semantic domain. However, there may be a fair amount of
overlap in meaning between words in a domain, and it is often difficult to
find mutually delimiting terms. Within a domain, some words are marked,
while some are unmarked; the unmarked members are more frequent,
more basic, broader in meaning, easier to learn and remember, not metaphorical, and typically one morpheme or single lexical item. The marked
members often consist of more than one lexical item and may denote a
subtype of the unmarked member.
Let’s consider some examples of semantic fields. The field of “parts of
the face” (see the table below, part a) is a substantive field of part to whole.
Terms within the field are arranged spatially and quite clearly delimited,
though there is some overlap between terms such as forehead and temple.
Terms such as bridge of the nose or eyelids would constitute marked members of the field. The field of “stages of life” (see b) is arranged sequentially,
though there is considerable overlap between terms (e.g., child, toddler) as
well as some apparent gaps (e.g., there are no simple terms for the different
stages of adulthood). Note that a term such a minor or juvenile belongs to
a technical register, a term such as kid or tot to a colloquial register, and a
term such as sexagenarian or octogenarian to a more formal register. The
semantic field of “water” (see c) could be divided into a number of subfields; in addition, there would appear to be a great deal of overlap between
terms such as sound/fjord or cove/harbor/bay. The semantic field of “clothing”
Exercise 6.4
Workbook, Page 112

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company

(see d) is a particularly rich one, with many unmarked terms (such as dress
or pants) as well as many marked terms (such as pedal-pushers or smoking
jacket). The field of clothing might be organized in many different ways —
by sex of wearer, by occasion of wearing, by body part covered, and so on.
Finally, the field of “jewelry” (see e) would seem to include quite welldelimited terms, with a number of unmarked terms.
Examples of Semantic Fields: (a) Parts of the Face, (b) Stages of Life, (c)
Water, (d) Clothing, and (e) Jewelry
(a) parts of the face
forehead
nose
septum
eyes
chin

brow
nostrils
mouth
eyebrows
cheeks

(b) stages of life
new-born
infant
nursling, suckling
baby, babe
child, kid
toddler, tot
preschooler
youngster

adolescent
youth
lad/lass
preteen
teenager, teen
juvenile, minor

temples
bridge/tip of the nose
lips
eyelids
eyelashes
jaw
jowls

young adult
adult
grown up person
middle aged person
senior citizen
mature person
aged person
senior citizen, senior
old {lady, man, person}
sexagenarian
septuagenarian
octogenarian
nonagenarian
centenarian

(c) water
forms: ice, water, steam, vapor, sleet, rain, snow, hail
bodies of water: ditch, slough, swamp, narrows, strait, inlet, bight,
bayou, brine, deep, firth, loch, tarn, well, reservoir, firth, pool, sea,
ocean, lake, pond, bay, inlet, estuary, fjord, sound, gulf, lagoon,
Exercise 6.4
Workbook, Page 113

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


cove, harbor
water in motion: creek, river, waves, billows, stream, rain, brook,
rivulet, tributary, spring
frozen water: ice, snow, crystal, sleet, hail, icicle, iceberg, rime,
hoarfrost, glacier
gas: vapor, steam
(d) clothing
dress (cocktail-, strapless-,
shirtwaist-)
toga
shift
jumpsuit
suit
vest
pajamas
bathrobe
tee-shirt
undershirt

turtleneck
shorts
knickers
culottes
skirt
underwear
panties
hat
cap
toque
scarf
belt
tie
socks
tights
gloves
mittens
shawl
cape
jacket
sweater
(e) jewelry
ring
watch
pin
crown
cufflinks

gown (evening-, ball-)

parka
pullover

jumper
smock
pantsuit
sports coat
nightgown
smoking jacket
shirt
blouse
pants/slacks
trousers
cut-offs
skorts
peddle-pushers bloomers
brassière
girdle
beret
tam
headband
earmuffs
suspenders
gaiters, spats
pantyhose
stockings
muff
muffler
coat (sports-, rain-, over-, top-,
lab-)

wind-breaker
anorak
cardigan
apron

earring
wristwatch
pendant
tiara
stick-pin

nose-ring
pocket-watch
necklace
bracelet
tie-clasp

brooch
stud
choker
anklet
belt buckle

Now try to list the possible members of the following semantic fields:
1. vocalization
Exercise 6.4
Workbook, Page 114

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company

2. types of roads
3. personality traits

Exercise 6.4
Workbook, Page 115

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.5: Semantic Features (Nouns)

1. Using the inherent features of nouns discussed in the chapter, analyze
the underlined noun in each of the following sentences:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)

(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)

Have you made plans for tonight?
He had the flu last week.
The group made its way through the forest.
He has a very healthy appetite.
We have managed to stay within our budget.
She spilled the coffee grounds on the floor.
Have you any grounds for making such a claim?
After the long boat trip, it felt good to stand on solid ground.
Do you like seafood?
My grandparents are coming for visit.
A herd of caribou crossed the road.
Our vacation begins next week.
She has symptoms of the flu.
You should take responsibility for the planning.
The scenery here is so beautiful.
Where is the receiver?
My clothes need to ironed.
The doctor prescribed bed rest.
The scissors are missing.
Are there any requirements for this course?

2. Give two different feature analyses for each of the following.
(a)

(b)

bank
response

Exercise 6.5
Workbook, Page 116

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.6: Semantic Features (Verbs)

1. Analyze the predicates in the following sentences using the inherent
verbal features [±STATIVE] [±DURATIVE] [±TELIC] [±VOLUNTARY]
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)

(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)

The skaters are practicing.
She skated around the rink.
She skates gracefully.
She bumped into another skater.
He polished her skates for her.
Pam has a cold.
Pam recently recovered from her illness.
Pam caught a cold last week.
Pam was coughing loudly.
Pam cured herself with large doses of vitamin C.
Charles and Julia got married yesterday.
The ceremony lasted an hour.
They have been engaged a long time.
Julia’s mother was crying.
He studied for the test.
The test began at 9:00.
While studying, he drank lots of coffee.
He is happy with the results.
After the exam, he got drunk.

2. Often the same verb can denote a number of different situations. Below
are verbs used in several different ways. Analyze using the four inherent
features of verbs.
(a)

HEAR

(b)

LIE

Exercise 6.6
Workbook, Page 117

I heard a strange noise.
I hear well.
I heard a Mozart symphony last night.
I hear the waves.
The book is lying on the desk.
He is lying on the bed.
Then he lay down.

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


(c)

HELP

(d)

IDENTIFY

(e)

DRESS

(f)

SINK

(g)

REGRET

(h)

TASTE

She is helping him.
She is helping him wash the car.
He finally identified the insect.
She identifies with her idol.
She dresses well.
It took ten minutes for her to dress.
The house is sinking.
The ship is sinking
She regrets her words.
She regretted it as soon as she said it.
The dinner tastes good.
He bent over and tasted the soup.
Then he tasted the mint in the drink.

3. Answer the following using the verb play.
(a)

(b)

(c)

(i)

Give a sentence of the form N – V (– N) which is an
activity.
(ii)
Give a sentence of the form N – V – PP which is an
activity.
(iii)
Give a sentence of the form N – V – Prt which is an
activity.
(i)
Give a sentence of the form N – V – N [+COUNT]
[+SINGULAR] which is an accomplishment.
(ii)
Give a sentence of the form N – V – N [+COUNT]
[+PLURAL] which is an accomplishment.
(iii)
Give a sentence of the form N – V – PP [−COUNT]
[+PLURAL] which is an accomplishment.
Give a sentence of the form N – V – N [−COUNT] which is an
activity.

4. Answer the questions in (3) in respect to the verb read.

Exercise 6.6
Workbook, Page 118

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.7: Modal Auxiliaries

1. Determine whether the following sentences with modal expressions, in
normal readings, have deontic or epistemic meaning or are ambiguous:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)

(s)
(t)
(u)
(v)

I must be getting sick.
You may be pregnant.
Nitric acid will dissolve zinc.
John must leave now.
He can miss the class.
You could clean your room.
He must have passed the examination.
You might have fallen,
Cocktail parties can be boring.
She could be discouraged.
I will marry her.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
You can’t be serious.
Harris has to retire next year.
He might try a bit harder to pass the course.
She can be very obstinate.
Guests may not use their cellular phones in the restaurant.
Only experts can advance to the next stage of the competition.
She must be careful with her money.
Grant is in New York now, I guess.
The movie shouldn’t be violent.
The revised paper could be better.

2. For the following, say whether the modal or the main verb is negated.
(a)

(b)
(c)
(d)

You mustn’t say a thing.
She doesn’t have to resit the examination.
I can’t reach the upper shelf.
I won’t interfere.

Exercise 6.7
Workbook, Page 119

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.8: Prototypes

For the concept of furniture, list the core, or prototypical, members and the
peripheral members. Justify your distinction between core and periphery.
What are the defining characteristics of this concept?

Exercise 6.8
Workbook, Page 120

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Exercise 6.9: Figurative Language

1. Give the selectional restrictions for the following words:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

study
surprise
slither
invest

2. Identify the type of figurative expression in each of the following:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
(p)
(q)

(r)
(s)
(t)
(u)
(v)
(w)
(x)
(y)
(z)
(aa)

a smooth wine
an autobiography of her life
passive aggressive
wildlife management
Orders are orders.
an endowed chair
a hard-hitting report
the paper
a loud color
a new initiative
The pen is mightier than the sword.
a new set of wheels
“Death, thou shalt die”. (John Donne)
a hot topic
the hands of a clock
blood, sweat, and tears
an on-off relationship
The traffic is crawling.
search one’s soul

Enough is enough.
room and board
live on borrowed time
table linen
an aide
The law is the law.
be under the weather
sell for money

Exercise 6.9
Workbook, Page 121

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


</TARGET "ch6">

(bb)
(cc)
(dd)
(ee)

circumnavigate around
working vacation
close proximity
extinct life

3. Explain what is “wrong” with each of the following expressions using
semantic features and the notion of selectional restrictions.

Example: a fatherless orphan
Answer: fatherless has the feature [−FATHER], while orphan also has the
feature [−FATHER]; thus, this expression is tautological.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

pregnant pause
eloquent silence
misery loves company
bitter reproach
joint partnership

4. State the principle upon which each of the following metaphors is
based. (Do not simply paraphrase the metaphors.)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

That’s food for thought.
He is a giant among film directors.
Let me put in my two cent’s worth.
She is a member of the upper class.
His health is declining.
His mood is down/depressed.

5. Give a focus and vehicle interpretation of the following metaphors.
(a)
(b)
(c)

“My thoughts are ripe in mischief”. (Shakespeare)
“But ye lovers that bathen in gladnesse”. (Chaucer)
“That time of year thou mayst in me behold / When yellow
leaves, or none, or few, do hang / Upon the boughs …”
(Shakespeare)

Exercise 6.9
Workbook, Page 122

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Answer to Exercise 6.1

1. A hero is generally defined as a person who exhibits extraordinary
bravery or greatness of soul and who is admired for his or her achievements and noble qualities. Furthermore, this bravery is usually in the
face of danger and is selfless.
Does this definition seem to coincide with the use of the word in
contexts such as “sports hero”? How would the definition need to be
modified?
2. (a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

3. (a)

(b)

reconcile: once there was a friendly relationship between two or
more parties; something happened to create a rift or distancing;
now this rift has healed (through some action of the parties) and
they are once more close.
generous: describes a person who is willing to give or share; this
giving or sharing is perhaps above the norm of what is expected;
this quality is considered a virtue or a sign of nobility of character.
procrastinate: describes the tendency to put off something or
delay in doing something; the thing delayed is unpleasant in some
way but is deemed necessary or is expected; procrastination is
often habitual and is seen as resulting from carelessness or laziness; hence, procrastinating is judged negatively or is seen as a
character defect.
patient: describes the quality of enduring or bearing something
with equanimity or calmness; this something is unpleasant (pain,
difficulty, deprivation, etc.) but unavoidable; patience is seen as a
positive characteristic, a virtue.
reputation: describes the quality of being well (or ill) thought of;
this recognition must be generally acknowledged and must be the
result of actions over an extended period of time.

The phrase “the instructor of Linguistics 101” has a single intension, but different extensions, as different people may teach this
course from year to year or even in any given year.
The phrase “the day before yesterday” has a single intension as
well, but the actual day referred to differs depending upon which

Answer to Exercise 6.1
Workbook, Page 123

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


(c)

day this phrase is spoken.
The phrase “the capital of Brazil” has a single intension, but in
fairly recent history the extension has changed — from Rio de
Janeiro to Brasília.

Answer to Exercise 6.1
Workbook, Page 124

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Answer to Exercise 6.2

1. (a)

(b)

neutral to positive in connotation: careful (with one’s money),
prudent, thrifty, scotch
negative in connotation: stingy, penny-pinching, tight (wad),
parsimonious, miserly
neutral to positive in connotation: slender, lean, slim, twiggy,
delicate, lanky, slight, spare, lightweight, svelt
negative in connotation: skinny, scrawny, skeletal, puny,
underweight, spindly, gangly, anorexic, wasted, emaciated

2. A
feed
hide
folk
begin
help
mistake
work
sight
middle
height

B
nourish
conceal
people
commence
aid/assist
error

labor
vision
center
altitude

The words in Column B all have a more “elevated” or more positive
connotation than the words in Column A.
3. (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)

inclusion
contradiction
ambiguity — literal/metaphorical
ambiguity — homonymy
presupposition
ambiguity — polysemy
paraphrase
anomaly
contradiction
entailment

metaphor
contradiction

Answer to Exercise 6.2
Workbook, Page 125

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


(m)
(n)
(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)
(u)
(v)
(w)
4. (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)

(j)
(k)
5. (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

anomaly
entailment
contradiction
anomaly
anomaly
contradiction
contradiction
contradiction
ambiguity — polysemy
entailment
contradiction
homophony
homophony
polysemy
homophony
homophony
polysemy
polysemy
homophony
homophony

(Actually, the first two definitions are part of the same word,
though they are now so far removed from one another in meaning that they are listed as separate words in the dictionary.)
homophony
polysemy
Someone is playing loud music.
I want something for my birthday.
Normally Alistair goes to work on this day.
Grace used to play the piano.
Tara went back to school.
Sally already had a subscription, and it had run out or was
about to run out.

6. Factive: (b), (d), (e), (g), (i)
Nonfactive: (a), (c), (f), (h), (j)
Answer to Exercise 6.2
Workbook, Page 126

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Answer to Exercise 6.3

1. (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

building

dish
river
look (at)
storm

2. (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

complementarity
converseness
symmetry
complementarity

(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)

complementarity
antonymy
recprocity
converseness

3. (a)

hard: soft
(as in hard/soft bed)
hard (= ‘difficult’): easy (as in hard/easy question)

hard is unmarked
(Soft is in opposition to loud when referring to a sound or
voice.)
(b) strong : weak
(as in strong/weak person or tea)
strong : mild
(as in strong/mild cheese)
strong is unmarked
(c) short : long
(as in short/long rope or novel)
short : tall
(as in short/tall person or building)
short is marked
(d) happy : sad/unhappy
happy is unmarked
(e) light : dark
(as in light/dark color)
light : heavy
(as in light/heavy box or housework)
light is marked
(f) cheap/inexpensive : expensive
cheap is marked

4. (a) exhausted
(b) drenched, soaking
(c) destitute

(d) despondent
(e) scorching

5. (a) synomymy
(b) converseness

(n) synonymy
(o) synonymy

Answer to Exercise 6.3
Workbook, Page 127

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)

cohyponyms
complementarity
converseness
complementarity
synonymy

converseness
antonymy
superordinate — hyponym
synonymy
complementarity
complementarity

(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)
(u)
(v)
(w)
(x)
(y)

cohyponyms
superordinate — hyponym
converseness
converseness
converseness
converseness
synonymy
reversive
reversive
reversive

6. All would appear to be examples of antonymy since they are gradable:

very {clean, drunk, fresh} or cleaner, drunker, fresher. However, we might
also conceive of these as complementary concepts in some contexts:
e.g., a dish is either clean or not, and legally, one is either drunk or not.

Answer to Exercise 6.3
Workbook, Page 128

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company


Answer to Exercise 6.4

1. whisper, yell, growl, murmur, cry, shout, bellow, whine, shriek, bark,
roar, grunt, groan, call, bawl, whoop, howl, scream, squeal, grumble,
screech, shriek, pipe, holler, etc.
2. street, alley, lane, path, avenue, way, cul-de-sac, bay, thoroughfare,
freeway, highway, carriage-way, expressway, toll road, interstate,
secondary road, back-road, etc.
3. friendly, sullen, morose, cheerful, reserved, depressed, compulsive,
obsessive, prissy, prudish, affected, snobbish, conceited, sociable,
vain, vivacious, gregarious, sensitive, self-confident, self-centered,
vicious, spiteful, duplicitous, sneaky, repressed, mean, nasty,
pretentious, kind, straight-forward, extroverted, introverted, etc.

Answer to Exercise 6.4
Workbook, Page 129

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company

Answer to Exercise 6.5

1. (a)

plans [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]
(b) flu [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]
(c) group [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[+ANIMATE] [±HUMAN] [±MALE] [+COLLECTIVE]
(d) appetite [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]
(e) budget [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]
(f) grounds [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[−ANIMATE] [+COLLECTIVE]
(g) grounds [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]
(h) ground [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE]
(i) seafood [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[+ANIMATE?] [−HUMAN] [+COLLECTIVE]
(j) grandparents [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+ANIMATE]
[+HUMAN] [±MALE] [-COLLECTIVE]
(k) herd [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[+ANIMATE] [−HUMAN] [±MALE] [+COLLECTIVE]
(l) vacation [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]

(m) symptoms [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[−ANIMATE]
or [−COUNT] [+COLLECTIVE]
(n) responsibility [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE]
[−COLLECTIVE]
(o) scenery [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[-COLLECTIVE]
(p) receiver [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE]
[−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE]
or [+ANIMATE] [±HUMAN] [±MALE]
(q) clothes [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE]

Answer to Exercise 6.5
Workbook, Page 130

Laurel J. Brinton The Structure of Modern English
© John Benjamins Publishing Company