Which term refers to signal words that show an author's way of thinking and reasoning?

• A. Process internal text structure
• B. Imagery
• C. Infer
• D. Theme

Answer: (A)

Understanding how signal words show the way an author structures and reasons through ideas. Signal words act like guides that reveal the sequence and relationships the writer uses—steps in a process, cause and effect, or comparisons. Seeing these clues helps you understand how the text is put together, the internal plan that drives the writing and shows the author’s thinking as the ideas unfold. That’s why this term fits best: internal text structure describes how the author arranges ideas and uses signaling language to reveal reasoning. Imagery focuses on sensory details, not on how ideas are organized; infer is the skill of drawing conclusions, and theme is the overall message, not the author’s method of presenting reasoning.