Which statement about text structure is true?

• A. All passages are written in a strictly linear order.
• B. Structure never affects how a reader interprets text.
• C. Text structure helps readers understand the author's intent.
• D. Text structure is only helpful for tests, not for readers.

Answer: (C)

Knowing how a text is organized shows what the author intends to accomplish and guides how you follow the message. Text structure is the way ideas are arranged—whether the writer lays out a problem and its solution, moves through events in order, compares and contrasts ideas, or explains causes and effects. Recognizing this helps you anticipate what the author is aiming to do and what kinds of details will matter, which reveals the writer’s purpose. For instance, in a problem-and-solution structure you expect to hear about a issue and then a remedy, signaling that the goal is to persuade or inform how to fix something. In a cause-and-effect layout, you look for reasons and consequences, which helps you understand why things happened and what their impact might be. Because of this, the statement that text structure helps readers understand the author's intent is true—the organization of ideas acts like a map that shapes how you interpret and remember the text.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Texts aren’t always strictly linear; many use flashbacks, sections, and other forms of organization that aren’t just a straight line. Structure does affect interpretation because the order and emphasis of information influence what you notice and how you judge it. And text structure isn’t only useful for tests—it helps you grasp meaning, follow arguments, and evaluate how effectively the author communicates.