I. Consider your answers to the following

Part 1 Polysemy

1. What is understood by "semantics"? Explain the term "polysemy".

2. Define polysemy as a linguistic phenomenon. Illustrate your answer with your own examples.

3. What types of semantic components can be distinguished within the meaning of a word?

II. What are the different meanings and the different usage of the following words? Group together the ones, which represent the same meaning of each word.

smart, adj.

smart clothes, a smart answer, a smart house, a smart garden, a smart repartee, a smart officer, a smart blow, a smart punishment

stubborn, adj.

a stubborn child, a stubborn look, a stubborn horse, stubborn resistance, a stubborn fighting, a stubborn cough, stubborn depression

sound, adj.

sound lungs, a sound scholar, a sound tennis-player, sound views, sound advice, sound criticism, a sound ship, a sound whipping

root, n.

edible roots, the root of the tooth, the root of the matter, the root of all evil, square root, cube root

perform, v.

to perform one's duty, to perform an operation, to perform a dance, to perform a play

kick, v.

to kick the ball, to kick the dog, to kick off one's slippers, to kick smb. downstairs

III. The verb "to take" is highly polysemantic in Modern English. On which meanings of the verb are the following jokes based? Give your own examples to illustrate the other meanings of the word.

1. "Where have you been for the last four years?"

"At college taking medicine."

"And did you finally get well?"

2. Proctor (exceedingly angry): So you confess that this unfortunate Freshman was carried to this frog pond and drenched. Now what part did you take in this disgraceful affair?

Sophomore (meekly): The right leg, sir.

IV. Explain the basis for the following jokes. Use the dictionary when in doubt.

1. Сa11er: I wonder if I can see your mother, little boy. Is she engaged?

Wi1lie: Engaged! She's married.

2. Booking Clerk (at a small village station): You'll have to change twice before you get to York.

Villager (unused to travelling): Goodness me! And I've only brought the clothes I'm wearing.

3. Professor: You missed my class yesterday, didn’t you?

Unsubdued student: Not in the least, sir, not in the least.

4. "Papa, what kind of a robber is a page?"

"A what?"

"It says here that two pages held up the bride's train."

5. P e g g y: I want to help you. Dad. I shall get the dress-maker to teach me to cut out gowns.

Dad: I don't want you to go that far, Peg, but you might cut out cigarettes, and taxi bills.

6. There are cynics who claim that movies would be better if they shot less films and more actors.

7. Кitty: Is your wound sore, Mr. Pup?

Mr. Pup: Wound? What wound?

Kitty: Why, sister said she cut you at the dinner last night.

V. Try your hand at being a lexicographer. Write simple definitions to illustrate as many meanings as possible for the following polysemantic words. After you have done it, check your results using a dictionary.

Face, heart, nose, to lose.

VI. Identify the denotative and connotative elements of the meanings in the following pairs of words.

to choose — to select, to draw — to paint, money — cash, photograph — picture, odd — queer.

VII. Read the entries for the English word "court" and the Russian "суд" in an English-Russian and Russian-English dictionary. Explain the differences in the semantic structure of both words.

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