When Jesse first met Nicolette, he extended his hand and said warmly, "Nice to meet you." In response, Nicolette sighed, rolled her eyes, and simply said, "Yah," in a very sarcastic tone. Jesse inferred from her reaction that Nicolette was not excited about meeting him. On which rule of language did Jesse likely base his interpretation?
A) phonological rule
B) syntactic rule
C) semantic rule
D) pragmatic rule

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jesse likely based his interpretation on the pragmatic rule, which deals with the context of the language and the speaker's intentions. In this case, Nicolette's tone and body language conveyed a different message than her words, which led Jesse to infer her true feelings about meeting him.

When Jesse First Met Nicolette, He Extended His Hand and Said