Sarah confides in Elizabeth saying,"Mr.Smith is inflexible when it comes to certain issues.I like a boss who can stand his ground and be firm in enforcing company policy." Elizabeth reports what Sarah said to Mr.Smith saying,"Elizabeth said that you were inflexible." Mr.Smith is offended by this comment.This example best illustrates which of the following?
A) Meanings are culture-bound.
B) Concrete words are preferable to abstract words.
C) Meanings are context-bound.
D) Connotative meanings may be misunderstood.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Connotative meanings may be misunderstood because Elizabeth misinterpreted Sarah's positive connotation of "inflexible" as negative when reporting to Mr. Smith.

Sarah Confides in Elizabeth Saying,"Mr