'Michael painted the picture' and 'the picture was painted by Michael' have the same semantic meaning but different

• A. morphemes.
• B. phonemes.
• C. pragmatics.
• D. syntax.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of syntax in linguistics: Syntax refers to the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. It is the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences.
2. Analyze the given sentences: 'Michael painted the picture' and 'the picture was painted by Michael'. Both sentences convey the same meaning, indicating that the action of painting was performed by Michael on the picture.
3. Identify the syntactic structure: Notice that the first sentence is in active voice ('Michael painted the picture'), while the second sentence is in passive voice ('the picture was painted by Michael').
4. Recognize that despite the change in structure, the meaning remains the same: This demonstrates that syntax can vary while maintaining the same semantic meaning, which is the meaning or interpretation of the words and sentences.
5. Conclude that the difference between the two sentences lies in their syntax: The arrangement of words is different, but the underlying meaning is unchanged, highlighting the role of syntax in sentence structure.