Which example illustrates an excited utterance?

Which example illustrates an excited utterance?

• A. A calm statement about the event
• B. OMG stop hitting
• C. A hypothetical opinion
• D. A recorded confession

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is the excited utterance rule: a statement made spontaneously while the speaker is still under the emotional stress of a startling event, without time for reflection. The exclamation “OMG stop hitting” is a direct, immediate reaction to the ongoing violence, expressing fear and a clear wish to stop the harm. It’s produced in the heat of the moment, not after the person has calm down or thought about what to say, which is what makes it fit the excited utterance exception. The other examples don’t fit as well. A calm statement about the event shows composure and reflection, not spontaneity under stress. A hypothetical opinion isn’t tied to a real event and isn’t a spontaneous reaction to something startling. A recorded confession is typically deliberate and planned, not emitted under the pressure of the moment, so it’s not an excited utterance.

The idea being tested is the excited utterance rule: a statement made spontaneously while the speaker is still under the emotional stress of a startling event, without time for reflection. The exclamation “OMG stop hitting” is a direct, immediate reaction to the ongoing violence, expressing fear and a clear wish to stop the harm. It’s produced in the heat of the moment, not after the person has calm down or thought about what to say, which is what makes it fit the excited utterance exception.

The other examples don’t fit as well. A calm statement about the event shows composure and reflection, not spontaneity under stress. A hypothetical opinion isn’t tied to a real event and isn’t a spontaneous reaction to something startling. A recorded confession is typically deliberate and planned, not emitted under the pressure of the moment, so it’s not an excited utterance.