Each of the following sentences contains an ambiguity except:

• A. I like to listen to the radio doing my homework
• B. students who like to read often can improve their grades
• C. not all of the students were present
• D. you can call your friend and tell her about the new books you bought for 60 cents.

Answer: (D)

Ambiguity shows up when a sentence can be understood in more than one way because a phrase could attach to different parts of the sentence or the meaning of a word is left open to interpretation. The sentence that stays clear is the one where every part clearly connects to the intended element.

The first sentence has a dangling-phrase feel: the phrase doing my homework could be attached to listening, meaning you’re listening to the radio while you do your homework, or it could be oddly read as if the radio were doing your homework. That unclear attachment is what creates ambiguity.

In the second sentence, the word often sits in a position that could modify two different parts: it could describe how frequently the students like to read, or how frequently they improve their grades. Because the modifier’s place doesn’t point unmistakably to one part, the meaning could shift.

The third sentence uses not all, a negative quantifier, which can introduce nuance about scope—whether some students were absent or whether the statement is simply making a general claim about the group. That negation can lead to more than one reasonable reading, hence ambiguity.

The fourth sentence clearly ties the amount 60 cents to the books you bought. The price modifier attaches to “new books,” so it isn’t ambiguous about what the cost refers to, and the sequence of calling and telling remains straightforward. That clarity is why this one is the best choice for an unambiguous sentence.