Question 1

Never compel readers to look up one of your words in a dictionary.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

Technical writers should not replace nominalizations with simple, direct verbs.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 3

Describe what a "weak expletive" is. In what situations is it acceptable to use a weak expletive?

Accepted Answer

Weak expletives are expressions, such as "there are" and "it is," that take the place of the main noun and main verb at the beginning of a sentence. Although not technically wrong, weak expletives are vague and meaningless and therefore should be avoided. It is acceptable to use a weak expletive if there is no way to reword the sentence without making it sound worse. For example, the answer to an "is-there-or-isn't-there" question will sound better if it begins with "there is," e.g., "There is no reason to keep him on staff."

Question 4

Describe the steps involved in writing for clarity and its significance to technical writing.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary, but should mention th

Question 5

Define redundancy as it pertains to writing. Why should redundancy be avoided?

Accepted Answer

Redundancy refers to the use of words th

Question 6

Technical paragraphs should not begin with their topic sentence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Which of the following is true about active voice?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is overly aggressive and should be avoided. 
B)  It contains a subject that precedes the verb. 
C)  It is required in every sentence. 
D)  It makes the writer sound less objective. 
A)  It is overly aggressive and should be avoided. 
B)  It contains a subject that precedes the verb. 
C)  It is required in every sentence. 
D)  It makes the writer sound less objective.

Question 8

Identify the real subject in the following sentence:
The drainage of runoff should be directed onto pervious ground.

Accepted Answer

A)  drainage 
B)  runoff 
C)  directed 
D)  ground 
A)  drainage 
B)  runoff 
C)  directed 
D)  ground

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT true about the "subject"?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is the thing that is acted upon in the sentence. 
B)  It is the thing that makes the action in the sentence happen. 
C)  It refers to the topic of the sentence. 
D)  It is best placed at the start of the sentence. 
A)  It is the thing that is acted upon in the sentence. 
B)  It is the thing that makes the action in the sentence happen. 
C)  It refers to the topic of the sentence. 
D)  It is best placed at the start of the sentence.

Question 10

Rewrite the following sentences to make them more direct. Keep the meaning of the original.
a) Dehydration, it was decided by the committee, is the number one problem facing production workers working on the factory floor.
b) As of today, I have not received your application. Once I have received it, I can see about an interview.
c) Grade adjustments that become necessary after May 1 can only be made in consultation with the program chair.
d) It has been recently brought to my attention that readers, having read your report, have further questions.

Accepted Answer

Rewrite the following sentences to make

Question 11

When the agent of an action is unknown or irrelevant, the writer should use the passive voice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Identify the real subject in the following sentence:
The decision of the engineers was to double the chlorine concentration in the water treatment process.

Accepted Answer

A)  chlorine 
B)  engineers 
C)  decision of the engineers 
D)  water treatment process 
A)  chlorine 
B)  engineers 
C)  decision of the engineers 
D)  water treatment process

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true about jargon?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are an easy shorthand that can be useful in technical writing. 
B)  They can be annoying and inappropriate. 
C)  They have a tendency to make sentences excessively long. 
D)  They are terms and expressions unique to a specific discipline. 
A)  They are an easy shorthand that can be useful in technical writing. 
B)  They can be annoying and inappropriate. 
C)  They have a tendency to make sentences excessively long. 
D)  They are terms and expressions unique to a specific discipline.

Question 14

What is the active voice? Why is it preferable to the passive voice?

Accepted Answer

In the active voice, the subje

Question 15

The following sentence suffers from ________.
The head of each tech unit should check his e-manual for automatic updates, which are frequent.

Accepted Answer

A)  wordiness 
B)  lack of a clear subject 
C)  a run-on sentence 
D)  lack of inclusive language 
A)  wordiness 
B)  lack of a clear subject 
C)  a run-on sentence 
D)  lack of inclusive language

Question 16

The imperative mood is at odds with the active voice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following sentences does NOT contain redundancies?

Accepted Answer

A)  If the symptoms still persist, call me. 
B)  We used off-the-shelf components. 
C)  The chemist mixed together the reagents. 
D)  We won't proceed at the present time. 
A)  If the symptoms still persist, call me. 
B)  We used off-the-shelf components. 
C)  The chemist mixed together the reagents. 
D)  We won't proceed at the present time.

Question 18

When the subject's gender is unknown, which technique should you avoid?

Accepted Answer

A)  changing the subject to a plural 
B)  changing the sentence so that pronouns are unnecessary 
C)  using a plural pronoun (i.e. they, their) 
D)  using the terms he/she or him/her 
A)  changing the subject to a plural 
B)  changing the sentence so that pronouns are unnecessary 
C)  using a plural pronoun (i.e. they, their) 
D)  using the terms he/she or him/her

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of a verb nominalization?

Accepted Answer

A)  perform a demonstration 
B)  during the period of 
C)  proximity 
D)  gain access to 
A)  perform a demonstration 
B)  during the period of 
C)  proximity 
D)  gain access to

Question 20

"Interface," "synergy," and "conspicuous" are all examples of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  jargon 
B)  gerunds 
C)  active voice 
D)  big and possibly confusing words 
A)  jargon 
B)  gerunds 
C)  active voice 
D)  big and possibly confusing words

Never compel readers to look up one of your words in a dictionary.

Technical writers should not replace nominalizations with simple, direct verbs.

Describe what a "weak expletive" is. In what situations is it acceptable to use a weak expletive?

Describe the steps involved in writing for clarity and its significance to technical writing.

Define redundancy as it pertains to writing. Why should redundancy be avoided?

Technical paragraphs should not begin with their topic sentence.

Which of the following is true about active voice?

Identify the real subject in the following sentence: The drainage of runoff should be directed onto pervious ground.

Which of the following is NOT true about the "subject"?

When the agent of an action is unknown or irrelevant, the writer should use the passive voice.

Identify the real subject in the following sentence: The decision of the engineers was to double the chlorine concentration in the water treatment process.

Which of the following is NOT true about jargon?

What is the active voice? Why is it preferable to the passive voice?

The following sentence suffers from ________. The head of each tech unit should check his e-manual for automatic updates, which are frequent.

The imperative mood is at odds with the active voice.

Which of the following sentences does NOT contain redundancies?

When the subject's gender is unknown, which technique should you avoid?

Which of the following is an example of a verb nominalization?

"Interface," "synergy," and "conspicuous" are all examples of ________.

Why Technical People Neednt Fear Writing

Technical Paragraphs

Parallelism, Lists, Headings, and Layout

Emails, Letters, and Memos

Short Reports, Proposals, and Technical Documents

Formal Reports

Intercultural Communication, Collaborative Writing, and Document Control

References and Citations

Technical Graphics

Technical Definitions and Descriptions

Instructions, Procedures, and Manuals

Oral Presentations

Ethics

Job Application Packages

Filters

Exam 2: Technical Sentences

Never compel readers to look up one of your words in a dictionary.

Technical writers should not replace nominalizations with simple, direct verbs.

Describe what a "weak expletive" is. In what situations is it acceptable to use a weak expletive?

Describe the steps involved in writing for clarity and its significance to technical writing.

Define redundancy as it pertains to writing. Why should redundancy be avoided?

Technical paragraphs should not begin with their topic sentence.

Which of the following is true about active voice?

Identify the real subject in the following sentence: The drainage of runoff should be directed onto pervious ground.

Which of the following is NOT true about the "subject"?

When the agent of an action is unknown or irrelevant, the writer should use the passive voice.

Identify the real subject in the following sentence: The decision of the engineers was to double the chlorine concentration in the water treatment process.

Which of the following is NOT true about jargon?

What is the active voice? Why is it preferable to the passive voice?

The following sentence suffers from ________. The head of each tech unit should check his e-manual for automatic updates, which are frequent.

The imperative mood is at odds with the active voice.

Which of the following sentences does NOT contain redundancies?

When the subject's gender is unknown, which technique should you avoid?

Which of the following is an example of a verb nominalization?

"Interface," "synergy," and "conspicuous" are all examples of ________.

Why Technical People Neednt Fear Writing

Technical Paragraphs

Parallelism, Lists, Headings, and Layout

Emails, Letters, and Memos

Short Reports, Proposals, and Technical Documents

Formal Reports

Intercultural Communication, Collaborative Writing, and Document Control

References and Citations

Technical Graphics

Technical Definitions and Descriptions

Instructions, Procedures, and Manuals

Oral Presentations

Ethics

Job Application Packages

Filters