Reflection of Class

Class this week went by pretty quickly. We got into groups and discussed the different semantic fields-

• hyponymy
• part/whole relationships
• synonymy
• antonymy
• polysemy and homonymy

I had a pretty good grasp on the main ideas listed above but it was nice to review the main points of each.

Esther then explained the quiz that we would be taking. So can I just say that I simply dislike tree diagrams! I understand their use and I can see how they may help illustrate how certain sentences are broken down. I appreciate that but it seems that much of a tree diagram can be open interpretation. I just don't understand what exactly constitutes a Noun Phrase. I understand of course that it needs to have a noun but what if there was a phrase such as:

slimy four-horned snail. Now, one would think that this is an Adjective Phrase but a person who may know more about snails would beg to differ. The four-horned snail is a species and therefore that person could say it is a Noun Phrase.

I hope I have explained the ambiguity that I have seen in tree diagrams. Overall, this class is the hardest for me which means I want to do well in it. I only see the benefits it can bring to my teaching career. I think I have just met my mid-semester frustration with not grasping the material as quickly as I usually do.