SENSE- REFERENCE
1. Variable and constant reference: Some linguistic expression refers to different referent, it has variable reference.
There are as many potential referents for the phrase “your left ear” as there are people with a “left ear” in the world.
2. The referent of “the P.M in Britain” in 1944 is Mr. Churchill and in 1982 is Mrs. Thatcher.
-> One linguistic expression refers to 1 and the same referent, it has constant referent.
-> Two or more expressions can have the same referent. (a number of)
Ex: The P.M and the leader of the Conservative Party have the same referent: Mrs. Thatcher.
When Albert talks about “his former friend” he means me. (referent)
Daddy, what does logic mean? (sense)
Purchase has the same meaning with buy. (sense)
Look up the meaning of “democracy” in your dictionary. (sense)
if look out of the window now, u’ll see who I mean. (referent)
“big” and “large” have the same sense in the following “I live in a big/ large house”
-> Expressions of entirely different social connotations can’t have the same sense: bookworm (person and insect)
Ex: the sun, the moon,…always has constant reference.
An example of different expressions have one referent: the Prime minister of Vietnam in 2010 and Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, …….
An expression has no reference: a ten-foot snake, a five-feet woman,….
** Are the following expressions referring expressions?
He in “ He’s a very polite man” -> Yes
he in “ if anyone ever married Nancy, he’s in for bad time”-> No
it in “ Every man who owns a donkey beats it” -> No
It in “it’s sinking” -> Yes
John in “ John is my best friend” -> Yes
The man who shot Abraham Lincoln in “the man who shot Abraham Lincoln was an unemployed actor” -> Yes
the person who did this in “the person who did this must be insane” -> No

3. DENOTATION AND CONOTATION

Positive meaning
Neutral
Negative

home, juvenile, girl, lady, young, mother/ mum, kid, youngster, superior, grown up, boyfriend, wealthy, lawyer, single girl, test, exam, midterm test, slender, plump, father/dad,
House, childish, boss, woman, female human, child, management, adult, naked, unmarried woman, male companion, taste, inexpensive, rich, legal representative counsel, quiz,…..
Living accommodation, chick, broad, bird, superior, nude, sprinter, steady guy, cheap, loaded, skinny, attorney,……..


4. ANTONYMS
Gradable
Binary
Converses (relational)

near-far
wide- narrow
hot-cold
generous- mean
pretty- ugly
strong- weak
good- bad
expensive- cheap
easy- difficult
never- always
big- small
rude- polite
possible- certainly
rich –poor
none- all
true- fasle
pass- fail
same- different
asleep- awake
sure- unsure
live- die
conceal- reveal
legal- illegal
married- unmarried

parent- child(off-spring)
husband- wife
west of – east of
south of- north of
lesser- lessee
import- export
lend- borrow
love- hate
better than- worse than
own- belong to
left of- right of
above- below
in front of- behind
over- under
greater than- less than
buy-sell
give- receive
debtor- creditor
professor- student
uncle/aunt- nephew/ niece
thinner- fatter
more- less