Spoken utterances of garden path sentences such as "The cabin struck by the tree fell" are less likely to result in confusion than a written statement of the same sentence. Why would this be?
A) Spoken utterances are usually accompanied by extralinguistic factors and conversational inference.
B) Spoken utterances are processed more rapidly than written statements.
C) Written statements are accompanied by extralinguistic factors like visual interpretation that require more processing.
D) It is easier to verbally express prototypes than it is to visually express them.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Spoken utterances are usually accompanied by extralinguistic factors such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language, which can provide additional context and help the listener understand the intended meaning. In a conversation, there is also an opportunity for the speaker to clarify or provide additional information if the listener is confused. Written statements, on the other hand, lack these extralinguistic factors and rely solely on the words on the page, which may be more prone to misinterpretation or confusion.

Spoken Utterances of Garden Path Sentences Such as "The Cabin