Which term is the practice of suggesting future events through hints?

Which term is the practice of suggesting future events through hints?

• A. Hyperbole
• B. Foreshadowing
• C. Imagery
• D. Flashback

Answer: (B)

Foreshadowing is the practice of suggesting future events through hints. It plants subtle clues in the narrative—through dialogue, actions, or descriptive detail—so readers sense what may happen later. This builds anticipation and can connect early scenes to later outcomes, enriching themes and character arcs. The other terms describe different effects: hyperbole is exaggeration for emphasis; imagery is sensory language that creates a vivid picture; a flashback moves the narrative backward to past events. Those devices don’t signal future events the way foreshadowing does, so foreshadowing is the best fit.

Foreshadowing is the practice of suggesting future events through hints. It plants subtle clues in the narrative—through dialogue, actions, or descriptive detail—so readers sense what may happen later. This builds anticipation and can connect early scenes to later outcomes, enriching themes and character arcs. The other terms describe different effects: hyperbole is exaggeration for emphasis; imagery is sensory language that creates a vivid picture; a flashback moves the narrative backward to past events. Those devices don’t signal future events the way foreshadowing does, so foreshadowing is the best fit.