Which internal text structure uses signal words like therefore, thus, consequently?

• A. Comparison/Contrast
• B. Enumeration
• C. Sequential/Chronological
• D. Cause and Effect

Answer: (D)

Focusing on signal words, the structure that uses therefore, thus, and consequently is built to show cause and effect. These words cue readers that one event (the cause) leads to another event (the effect) and that the writer is explaining why something happened or what happened as a result. For instance, if a passage notes a long drought and then says, therefore crop yields declined, you can see the cause (drought) linked to the effect (declined yields) through those signal words.

Other structures hinge on different cues: comparison/contrast would use words like similarly or on the other hand; enumeration presents items in a list; sequential/chronological follows a step-by-step order with words like first, next, and finally. The presence of therefore, thus, and consequently makes cause and effect the best fit.