Which practice is associated with focusing on structure to facilitate reading?

• A. Outlining
• B. Annotating
• C. Drilling
• D. Memorizing

Answer: (A)

Understanding how a text is organized helps reading by making the structure visible and usable. Outlining is the practice that focuses on structure by plotting the main ideas and their subpoints in a clear, hierarchical layout. This external map shows how each part relates to the whole, where the argument builds, and which details support key claims. With that skeleton in mind, you can follow the progression more easily, anticipate what comes next, and recall how the pieces fit together, which speeds comprehension and retention.

Annotating can involve noting structure, but its primary aim is to capture meaning, details, and reactions, not to lay out the entire architecture. Drilling and memorizing center on repetition and recall rather than organizing a text’s structure.