Imagine you are in a college classroom on a cold winter day. As the class is beginning, the professor calls on a student sitting along the windows by the edge of the classroom and asks:

"Amanda, is the window open?"

Consider the following two responses to the question:

1. Amanda answers "yes" and then returns to taking notes.

2. Amanda says "yes" and gets up and closes the window at the same time.

For most people, #2 seems more reasonable. How can this be? Answer #1 answers the question as it is literally asked (the professor did not say anything about closing the window). What does this indicate about how language works in this situation and/or general? Is this particular exchange (in the case of the student giving answer #2) typical of how language works or exceptional?