Which sentence is used as an example of different deep structures yielding different meanings while surface structure stays the same?

Which sentence is used as an example of different deep structures yielding different meanings while surface structure stays the same?

• A. I like her cooking
• B. The boy will read the book
• C. The book will be read by the boy
• D. The cat slept

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is that the same surface sentence can rest on more than one underlying structure, producing different meanings. In I like her cooking, the phrase her cooking can be understood in two ways: either as the cooking that she does (the dishes she makes) or as the activity of cooking carried out by her. The surface words are identical, but the mental representation of who is doing what differs, leading to two distinct readings: liking the result of her cooking versus liking the act of her cooking. The other options don’t set up this kind of depth-structure ambiguity with an identical surface form. They either involve a change in sentence voice or structure that alters both form and interpretation, or present a straightforward, single reading.

The idea being tested is that the same surface sentence can rest on more than one underlying structure, producing different meanings. In I like her cooking, the phrase her cooking can be understood in two ways: either as the cooking that she does (the dishes she makes) or as the activity of cooking carried out by her. The surface words are identical, but the mental representation of who is doing what differs, leading to two distinct readings: liking the result of her cooking versus liking the act of her cooking.

The other options don’t set up this kind of depth-structure ambiguity with an identical surface form. They either involve a change in sentence voice or structure that alters both form and interpretation, or present a straightforward, single reading.