Which concept concerns how words combine to form text, including collocations?

• A. Think-aloud protocols
• B. Syntagmatic relations
• C. Top-down processing
• D. Textual competence

Answer: (B)

Syntagmatic relations describe how words combine in sequences to form text. They focus on the linear ordering and nearest-word connections that create phrases and sentences, and collocations are classic examples of these predictable word pairings that tend to occur together in language, like “make a decision” or “strong tea.” This emphasis on how units line up and co-occur in sequence is what makes this concept the best fit for describing word combinations in text. By contrast, think-aloud protocols are about verbalizing thought processes, top-down processing is about using prior knowledge to interpret input, and textual competence is a broader ability to understand and produce text rather than the specific links between words in sequence.