Which sentence illustrates a semantic cue in understanding meaning?

Which sentence illustrates a semantic cue in understanding meaning?

• A. The sentence 'The sky is blue' indicates color
• B. "Thinking about leaving her friends made Jane blue" indicates blue as sadness
• C. Jane is a person name
• D. The phrase 'Thinking about leaving her friends' hints at time

Answer: (B)

Understanding semantic cues means reading how words carry meaning beyond their literal sense and using context to infer mood or intention. In this sentence, the color word blue is used not to describe a visible color, but to express feeling. When thinking about leaving her friends makes Jane blue, the word blue signals sadness or feeling down. That’s a classic semantic cue: a color term standing in for an emotional state. The other sentences stay at a literal level or focus on names or unrelated ideas: describing the sky as blue states a color; Jane is a person’s name identifies who she is; and the phrase about thinking about leaving doesn’t tie to time. So this sentence best shows how a semantic cue works to convey meaning beyond the literal words.

Understanding semantic cues means reading how words carry meaning beyond their literal sense and using context to infer mood or intention. In this sentence, the color word blue is used not to describe a visible color, but to express feeling. When thinking about leaving her friends makes Jane blue, the word blue signals sadness or feeling down. That’s a classic semantic cue: a color term standing in for an emotional state. The other sentences stay at a literal level or focus on names or unrelated ideas: describing the sky as blue states a color; Jane is a person’s name identifies who she is; and the phrase about thinking about leaving doesn’t tie to time. So this sentence best shows how a semantic cue works to convey meaning beyond the literal words.