Which term best describes hints within the text that help identify the author's purpose, including tone and word choice?

• A. Genre
• B. Textual Clues
• C. Audience
• D. To Explain

Answer: (B)

Hints within the text that reveal the author's purpose, including tone and word choice, are called textual clues. These clues come from the writer’s choices in language, style, and structure—everything from the emotional words and connotations to the way sentences are framed and the types of appeals used. By focusing on tone, one can sense the attitude the author takes toward the subject or reader, while word choice signals what the author aims to achieve—persuading, informing, or entertaining. Genre tells you the category of the text, and audience refers to who the text is written for, but the specific signals that point to why the author wrote it come from these textual clues embedded in the writing.