Which text structure is signaled by words such as because and therefore?

• A. Signal words like because/therefore signal cause/effect; first/next/last signal sequence; similar/different signal compare/contrast.
• B. Paragraph spacing indicates structure.
• C. Font style indicates structure.
• D. Punctuation marks indicate structure.

Answer: (A)

Words like because and therefore cue a cause-and-effect relationship in a text. Because introduces the reason something happened, and therefore signals the result or consequence that follows. This helps readers see how one event leads to another and how the idea in the sentence connects to what comes next.

For example, “Because it rained all night, the field was muddy.” shows the cause (rain) and the effect (muddy field). “Therefore, the game was canceled” then conveys the consequence.

Other features like paragraph spacing, font style, or general punctuation don’t specifically mark how ideas are organized into cause/effect. They’re formatting or grammatical tools, not reliable signals of a causal relationship in the way because and therefore are.