One of the most important functions for metadiscourse (reading directives) is to serve as textual relevance cues. Readers must use metadiscourse to determine the specific task or communicative context for understanding the total meaning of a text. Some of the more common types of metadiscourse include (1) hedges--words used to convey a note of caution or confidence; (2) emphatics--words used to underscore what authors really believe or would have their readers think they believe; (3) sequencers--phrases or clauses that tell the reader the author's sequential plans and intentions for the text; and (4) topicalizers--phrases used to announce a shift in the topic. Metadiscourse can also be classified into three groups of adverbials: adjuncts (indicate the focus of what is being communicated), disjuncts (express an evaluation of what is being said), and conjuncts (indicate the connection between what is being said and what was said before). More attention must be given to teaching students metacognitive awareness of metadiscourse and strategies for its use so that they may understand what the author is saying; maintain schemata by connecting sentences; shift topics; recognize an introduction, a transition, and a conclusion; recognize the author's attitudes and whether the author is being subjective or objective, and recognize the relevance signals. In addition, readers need to be aware of the mood component. Both metadiscourse and mood should be taught as important factors in comprehension processing. (Appendixes include exercises for metadiscourse and mood.) (HOD)