Prior knowledge of the formal structure of different types of texts which assists readers and listeners in understanding is called what?

• A. Formal schemata
• B. Genre
• C. Progress test
• D. Formative assessment

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is the knowledge of how texts are organized, stored in the mind as a framework for understanding. This particular term, formal schemata, refers to the expectations about the formal structure of different text types—the typical layout, moves, and sections you expect to see. When you have this knowledge, you can predict where information will appear, follow the progression of ideas more easily, and grasp the writer’s or speaker’s purpose more quickly. For instance, knowing that a report usually includes an introduction, methods, results, and conclusions helps you scan efficiently and interpret what you read or hear.

This is different from the idea of genre, which is simply the category of the text (narrative, letter, article, etc.), and from assessment terms like progress test or formative assessment, which describe ways to measure learning rather than how we process texts.