Final answer:
The statement 'The phase structure we think is easier is usually wrong' is not true about garden-path sentences. While these sentences are ambiguous and can lead readers astray, our linguistic intuition usually leads us to the correct sentence structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Garden-path sentences are a type of sentence that lead the reader to initially interpret the sentence one way, only to realize that an alternative structure is intended, demanding reanalysis to understand the sentence correctly. Regarding the statement in question, it's true that garden-path sentences can mislead readers about what rules apply for sentences, and that they are inherently ambiguous because of their structure. Also, readers often assume the most straightforward sentence structure is correct.
However, option D suggests an erroneous generalization, implying that 'the phase structure we think is easier is usually wrong.' This is not true of garden-path sentences specifically, nor is it true of sentence construction generally. Our linguistic intuition based on common usage actually guides us toward the correct structure much of the time, even if that intuition is sometimes led astray by garden-path sentences.