Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) Practice Exam

The property of language demonstrated by its structured construction from smaller components is hierarchical. This concept refers to the way language is organized in a multi-level system, where smaller units like phonemes (sounds) combine to form morphemes (smallest meaning units), which in turn come together to create words and sentences. Hierarchical structure allows for complex and nuanced communication, as different elements can be arranged and nested to convey a wide variety of meanings and grammatical functions.

In contrast, while ambiguity refers to the possibility of multiple interpretations of a word or phrase, inclusivity relates to language that encompasses a broad range of identities and expressions. Universality suggests that certain features of language are common across all human languages, but the hierarchical structure specifically refers to the systematic way in which language builds from simpler to more complex forms. Understanding the hierarchical property is crucial for studying language structure and grammar, as it lays the foundation for how we form and interpret sentences.