The most common use of dramatic irony in a text is to ______.

a. create suspense
b. introduce a new character
c. establish the setting
d. indicate a falling action

a. create suspense

The most common use of dramatic irony in a text is to create suspense. In order to determine this, we can first define what dramatic irony is. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or the reader knows something that the characters in the story do not. This creates a sense of anticipation and tension in the audience as they await the unfolding of events, while being aware of the discrepancy between what they know and what the characters know. This technique is often used to build suspense and engage the audience in the narrative.

To confirm that this is the most common use of dramatic irony, we can examine various examples in literature and other forms of storytelling. By analyzing different texts, we can observe how authors utilize dramatic irony to generate suspense. Additionally, studying the effects of dramatic irony on the audience's engagement and emotional response can further support the idea that creating suspense is the primary purpose of this literary device.

Therefore, based on the definition and the analysis of examples, we can conclude that the most common use of dramatic irony in a text is to create suspense.