Which of the following options correctly describes the action of selecting text before formatting it?

Highlighting text is the correct description of the action taken before formatting it. When you highlight text, you effectively select a specific portion of the document that you want to change or format. This process allows you to apply various formatting options—like bold, italics, font size, and color—only to the selected text, making the intended formatting clear and controlled.

The other terms, while related to text manipulation, do not accurately describe the initial action of selecting text for formatting. Editing refers to making changes to the content, styling implies applying design aspects to text that may not involve direct selection first, and choosing does not specifically indicate the action of selecting text for formatting purposes. Therefore, highlighting is the precise term that encompasses the action needed to prepare for formatting.