Decoding refers to the process of reorganizing

• A. Language sounds
• B. Signs
• C. Grammar rules
• D. Signs and codes

Answer: (D)

Decoding is interpreting encoded messages by recognizing signs and applying the code that gives those signs their meaning. In other words, you take the visible signs (letters, symbols, icons) and use the system that links those signs to meanings to understand the message. That’s why the option about signs and codes fits best: it covers both the symbols used and the coding system that tells you what they represent. The other ideas are narrower—language sounds relates to phonology, grammar rules deal with structure, and signs alone misses the conventions that tell you how to interpret those signs. For example, a red octagonal sign communicates “stop” not just by its shape or color, but through the coding that links that sign to the command.