Which sentence demonstrates how a semantic cue clarifies meaning?

Which sentence demonstrates how a semantic cue clarifies meaning?

• A. "Thinking about leaving her friends made Jane blue" meaning sadness
• B. The sentence uses blue as a color
• C. The sentence structure indicates tense
• D. The phrase 'Jane blue' is unfamiliar

Answer: (A)

Semantic cues are hints in wording that help you figure out what a word means in a given context. Here, the word blue is used in a way that points to an emotional state rather than a color. The surrounding idea—thinking about leaving her friends—sets up sadness, so “Jane blue” is read as Jane feeling sad. This shows how context clarifies meaning through a familiar expression, like “feeling blue.” If you tried to interpret blue as only a color, the sentence wouldn’t fit the mood the context suggests. The other options don’t address how the surrounding words guide you to the intended sense of the word, so they don’t illustrate the idea of a semantic cue clarifying meaning.

Semantic cues are hints in wording that help you figure out what a word means in a given context. Here, the word blue is used in a way that points to an emotional state rather than a color. The surrounding idea—thinking about leaving her friends—sets up sadness, so “Jane blue” is read as Jane feeling sad. This shows how context clarifies meaning through a familiar expression, like “feeling blue.”

If you tried to interpret blue as only a color, the sentence wouldn’t fit the mood the context suggests. The other options don’t address how the surrounding words guide you to the intended sense of the word, so they don’t illustrate the idea of a semantic cue clarifying meaning.