Abraham Lincoln Speech

In this speech Lincoln chose very interesting words, that makes feel the reader, like a friend or someone very close to him. First of all it refers to the receptor as 'My friends'. By refering to someone as a friend, you immediatly show certain relation to him, so, Abraham Lincoln is trying to be close to everybody that is listening to his speech. Also he said 'here I have lived a quarter of century', this also reinforce the intent of being close to the people, in a way trying to say, I'm one of yours, I'm from here as you. All these are persuative skills used very well by Linconl. 

Register

How would you describe the register of the following statements?

• “Honoured guests, members of the board, Superintendent Johnson, and most importantly, graduates of the class of 2012, it is an honour to speak to you on this ocassion.” Formal
• “While I was pleasantly surprised by the menu selections for dinner service, I was disheartened by the lukewarm eggs at breakfast.” Formal
• “Yeah, right” Casual
• “I doubt it” Consultative
• “I’m tired of your rubbish” Intimate
• “I’m tired” Consultative

Idioms and Ambiguity

Meaning can often be complicated through the use of metaphors, idioms, or simply through ambiguous relationships between words. What are the actual meanings of the first two idioms below? What are the possible meanings of the next ambiguous sentences?

• Bite your tongue: literally bite someone / shut up.
• Pull my leg: my leg / play a joke to someone.
• He is my English teacher: he is my english teacher/someone may thing, that he come from England (ambiguity) /He correct everything about English.
• I saw the person with a telescope: you saw someone with a telescope or you use the telescope to saw someone.
• She doesn’t like short men or women: Ambiguity, she doesn't like short men or women. Or the other meaning that she doesn't like short men or all women.

Truth assumptions

Truth Assumptions

Are the following statements factive or non-factive?

• I thought that today was your birthday.  Non-factive
• I forgot that today was your birthday. Factive 
• The teacher scolded me for not studying hard enough. Factive
• The teacher acknowledged that I hadn’t really studied. Factive
• The teacher realized the student had cheated. Factive
• The teacher assumed that the student had cheated. Non-factive