Definition:Compound Statement/Ill-Formed
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Definition
The substatements in a compound statement, which are joined by a connective, may be compound statements themselves.
It is clearly necessary that the interpretation of such a compound statement is unambiguous.
A compound statement is said to be ill-formed if it is ambiguous as to how its substatements are grouped by the action of the connectives.
For example, in natural language:
- I would like some juice or water with ice.
can mean either:
- I would like some juice, or water with ice.
or:
- I would like some juice with ice, or water with ice.
Also see
- Definition:Ambiguity
- Definition:Amphiboly, the analogue in symbolic logic
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