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 that Nicolette was not excited about meeting him based on her reaction. Which rule of language did Jesse likely base his decision on?
A) phonological rule
B) syntactic rule
C) semantic rule
D) pragmatic rule

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jesse likely based his decision on the pragmatic rule, which involves understanding the meaning behind language in context. Nicolette's sarcastic tone and eye rolling conveyed that she was not actually nice to meet Jesse, despite her words indicating otherwise.

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