Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CAT4 Practice Questions and Study Guide

A characteristic that often defines a sentence as it is being spoken, until the sentence is completed, is ambiguity. In spoken language, ambiguity arises frequently because the listener does not have all the information until the speaker finishes their thought. During the delivery of a sentence, words or phrases may have multiple meanings based on context, intonation, or interruption, leaving the listener in a state of uncertainty about the intended message.

This uncertainty is particularly relevant in conversational settings where the speaker may pause or change direction, leading to a wait-and-see approach for the listener. Once the sentence is completed, the full meaning becomes clear, resolving the ambiguity that was present during its delivery. Other attributes like clarity, conciseness, and relevance do play roles in effective communication but do not capture the particular nature of how spoken sentences unfold, where the resolution of meaning is deferred until the end.