Ace the English STAAR 2025 – Unleash Your Texas-Sized Potential!

Foreshadowing is a literary device that provides hints or clues about events that will happen later in the story. This technique serves to build anticipation in the reader, creating a sense of suspense and prompting them to consider how the story might develop. By dropping subtle hints, the author can prepare the reader for significant plot points, character developments, or themes that will emerge further along in the narrative. This use of foreshadowing enriches the reading experience by allowing readers to engage more deeply with the unfolding tale and to feel more invested in the outcomes of the characters and plot.

Other options like creating tension, describing character traits, or summarizing the story focus on different functions in literature and do not capture the purpose of foreshadowing specifically. While foreshadowing can create tension as a result of the hints it provides, that is a secondary effect rather than its primary purpose. Describing character traits focuses on developing characters rather than suggesting future events, and summarizing the story would not involve any hints or clues, rather it provides a general overview of the events that have already occurred.