Deck 5: Basics of Writing and Editing

Question 1

Effective writers have a passion for words. As a media writer, your aim is to weave words into a pattern of ideas to inform, motivate and persuade.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Obeying the basic rules of writing guarantees good writing.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Writers communicate clearly with audiences by following the principles of syntax, the branch of grammar dealing with the arrangement and relationship of words in sentences.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Follow the standard grammatical conventions of the language. If this makes the sentence sound stilted or confusing, that will occasionally happen and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Question 5

"Network standard" English is the measure of appropriate language for broadcasting in every part of the country.

Question 6

Feature articles, some columns, newsletter articles, brochures, advertising copy, and broadcast scripts use

A)formal language
B)informal language

Question 7

While conventional guidelines for English may be bent to achieve special effects, such bending should be done carefully and infrequently, with full knowledge of the rule and the reason for the bending.

Question 8

A singular noun takes a plural verb, and a plural noun takes a singular verb.

Question 9

Choose the correct form:

A) The team honored their coach.
B) The team honored its coach.

Question 10

While adjectives and adverbs are useful in explaining and qualifying, they are at times overused by beginning writers, who thus risk losing the objectivity sought by media writers.

Question 11

Adverbs do for verbs what adjectives do for nouns: they provide a degree of nuance or detail.

Question 12

Good writers make sure that items presented in a series are used in parallel fashion: don't mix elements in a series or switch voice.

Question 13

One difference between broadcast and print writing is that broadcasting uses fairly simple punctuation, while print makes greater use of dashes, parentheses, semicolons, colons and exclamation points.

Question 14

A comma splice occurs when a comma is used to connect two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Question 15

If you quote only a partial sentence, use a comma to introduce or conclude the quotation.

Question 16

The power of language lies not in overpowering readers, but easing them to a new awareness or a better understanding.

Question 17

Eliminate unnecessary words and don't let empty phrases take up space in your writing.

Question 18

Contractions are appropriate for both formal and informal writing and are particularly useful in making straight news stories and print news releases more conversational and readable.

Question 19

The Fog Index:

A) Is a useful statistical tool that helps journalists compute dew point and relative humidity.
B) Provides a simple way of gauging the level of reading difficulty of a piece of writing that can be compared to the educational level of the audience.

Question 20

Meaning can and must be conveyed without writing over the head of readers.

Question 21

Not every sentence should be written in the subject-verb-object pattern; variety in sentence structure makes for interesting reading.

Question 22

Active voice: the action is being done to the subject; passive voice: the subject is doing the action.

Question 23

Active voice offers several benefits to the writer. It:

A) Gets to the point quickly.
B) Eliminates unnecessary words.
C) Increases readability.
D) Presents specific information in a natural order.
E) All of the above.

Question 24

The greatest strength a writer has is the ability to share meaning and communicate so that readers accurately understand.

Question 25

Writing is most powerful when it interprets the situation for the reader, rather than when it demonstrates a fact and invites the reader to draw a conclusion.

Question 26

Effective writers use analogies-comparisons in which imagery or familiar terms are used to explain unfamiliar concepts-to help their readers understand something new or complicated.

Question 27

Writers use nebulous terms and concepts. This covers them if it is later found that a source was misinformed and gave incorrect information.

Question 28

Avoid clichés like the plague.

Question 29

"Journalese" is a trite form of writing, a sloppy style of generalities, clichés, jargon and overwriting. Don't!

Question 30

In journalism, precision is very important. Thus, effective and ethical writers choose the word that provides the most accurate situational nuance.

Question 31

Journalists and public relations practitioners use inclusive language because it makes writing more effective: no writer can afford to unwittingly alienate or offend people.

Question 32

Of course, since you can't please everyone all the time, if members of your audience feel excluded or offended, well, that's their problem, not yours.

Question 33

He or his is still used as the pronoun when referring to groups that include both men and women.

Question 34

Use double pronouns sparingly, and only when you want to draw attention to the inclusiveness.

Question 35

Since women are still underrepresented in the professions, it is acceptable to use phrases such as a female attorney or a woman doctor, even though you would not do so for a male counterpart.

Question 36

Politeness and tradition have not gone out of style. Thus, writers in public media should be deferential to women.

Question 37

If a person's age, marital status, sexual orientation, or some other personal characteristic is relevant, then report it. But if it is superfluous, leave it out.

Question 38

News and public relations writing is good precisely to the extent that it goes beyond individual writing style to display the look and feel of truly professional writing.