which of the following sentence is an example of a garden path sentence? group of answer choices he read the paper that he received yesterday morning. the eskimos were frightened by the walrus. before the police stopped the toyota disappeared into the night. flying planes can be dangerous.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct example of a garden path sentence from the given options is “Flying planes can be dangerous.”
Explanation of Garden Path Sentences
A garden path sentence is one that initially leads the reader or listener to interpret it in a way that turns out to be incorrect. As a result, the reader must backtrack and reanalyze the sentence to arrive at the correct interpretation. This phenomenon occurs due to the ambiguous nature of certain phrases or structures in the sentence, causing confusion and misinterpretation.
In the case of “Flying planes can be dangerous,” the sentence can be misleading because it can be interpreted in two ways:
- The first interpretation might be that the act of flying planes (as in piloting) is dangerous. This would mean that the subject (flying planes) is a gerund phrase functioning as a noun.
- The second interpretation could lead one to think that planes that are flying (as in the planes themselves) are what is dangerous. This interpretation is less intuitive because it implies that the planes are inherently dangerous while in flight, which shifts the meaning.
The ambiguity arises because the phrase “flying planes” can be understood as either an action or a description. This leads the reader down the “garden path” of misinterpretation, requiring them to reevaluate the structure and intended meaning of the sentence.
In contrast, the other sentences provided are less ambiguous and do not lead the reader to a misleading interpretation:
- “He read the paper that he received yesterday morning” is clear and straightforward.
- “The Eskimos were frightened by the walrus” clearly states a cause-and-effect relationship.
- “Before the police stopped, the Toyota disappeared into the night” has a clearer temporal sequence, as the phrase can be understood without initial confusion.
Thus, “Flying planes can be dangerous” exemplifies the characteristics of a garden path sentence by presenting an initial interpretation that may not align with the intended meaning.