In the comic strip, Calvin repeatedly asks his mother for permission using the modal verb “can”, proposing increasingly unreasonable actions (e.g., setting fire to his mattress, riding his tricycle on the roof). His mother denies every request with the same formulaic response: “No, Calvin.” After a series of absurd questions, Calvin finally asks for something reasonable: a cookie. The mother again refuses with “No, Calvin,” leading Calvin to conclude, “She’s on to me.”






Based on a pragmatic and discourse-analysis perspective, which statement BEST explains the mother’s response pattern and Calvin’s final inference?