Question 1

When we talk about precision in writing, we are referring to

Accepted Answer

A)  attempts by a writer to include many details in the writing 
B)  using as few words as possible 
C)  following accepted grammatical rules and knowledge of the meanings of words C

Question 2

One of the keys to clarity in writing is

Accepted Answer

A)  using jargon 
B)  simple sentences 
C)  lots of big words 
D)  leaving out many facts B

Question 3

One of the techniques a writer has of tying information together is through the use of

Accepted Answer

A)  participles 
B)  clichés 
C)  transitions C

Question 4

The strongest words in the English language are

Accepted Answer

A)  nouns and verbs 
B)  adjectives and adverbs 
C)  prepositions and conjunctions 
D)  interjections and pronouns

Question 5

The chief goal of a journalist is

Accepted Answer

A)  accuracy 
B)  brevity 
C)  clarity 
D)  human interest

Question 6

One of the reasons that writing is such hard work is that it

Accepted Answer

A)  takes a lot of time to learn to use a typewriter or word processor 
B)  is hard to learn the rules 
C)  takes a long time to produce very little 
D)  is something that must be done alone

Question 7

Most people find that good, simple, clear writing is fairly easy and just takes a little practice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Clichés were once out of fashion with most writers, but now they are generally accepted as promoting clear, fresh writing.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The sentence below is an example of what kind of writing error: He always arrived at the exact same time on Sunday.

Accepted Answer

A)  cliché 
B)  bureaucratese 
C)  redundancy

Question 10

News writers who use big words when simple ones would do and who use more words than are necessary so that they can make what they write appear more important are writing.

Accepted Answer

A)  jargon 
B)  clichés 
C)  bureaucratese

Question 11

Jargon is a specialized language that

Accepted Answer

A)  every journalist should know 
B)  is unnecessary for journalists to understand 
C)  that journalists should actively use in their writing 
D)  should be avoided in writing for the mass media

Question 12

"These are the times that try men's souls."
"I have a dream."
"To be or not to be; that is the question."
We remember all of these famous sayings because of their

Accepted Answer

A)  erudition 
B)  simplicity 
C)  complexity

Question 13

What are the four characteristics of media writing?

Accepted Answer

A)  short, simple, complex, compound 
B)  newspaper, Web, advertising, broadcast 
C)  accuracy, precision, clarity, efficiency

Question 14

One of the ways to achieve simplicity in writing

Accepted Answer

A)  is to use compound and complex sentences. 
B)  to try to find shorter rather than longer words to use 
C)  to change dictionaries 
D)  to limit sentences to no more than 10 words

Question 15

Writers should never edit their own copy - it's too painful.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Efficiency in writing means

Accepted Answer

A)  getting the writing done as quickly as possible 
B)  using as few words as possible to say what you have to say 
C)  using at least one cliché or redundancy in each paragraph

Question 17

The sentence below is an example of what kind of writing error: When her business failed, she found herself in dire straits financially.

Accepted Answer

A)  cliché 
B)  bureaucratese 
C)  redundancy

Question 18

The sentence below is an example of what kind of writing error:
They said it was important for their website to increase their revenue stream.

Accepted Answer

A)  cliché 
B)  bureaucratese 
C)  redundancy

Exam 1: What Is Good Writing

When we talk about precision in writing, we are referring to

One of the keys to clarity in writing is

One of the techniques a writer has of tying information together is through the use of

The strongest words in the English language are

The chief goal of a journalist is

One of the reasons that writing is such hard work is that it

Most people find that good, simple, clear writing is fairly easy and just takes a little practice.

Clichés were once out of fashion with most writers, but now they are generally accepted as promoting clear, fresh writing.

The sentence below is an example of what kind of writing error: He always arrived at the exact same time on Sunday.

News writers who use big words when simple ones would do and who use more words than are necessary so that they can make what they write appear more important are writing.

Jargon is a specialized language that

"These are the times that try men's souls." "I have a dream." "To be or not to be; that is the question." We remember all of these famous sayings because of their

What are the four characteristics of media writing?

One of the ways to achieve simplicity in writing

Writers should never edit their own copy - it's too painful.

Efficiency in writing means

The sentence below is an example of what kind of writing error: When her business failed, she found herself in dire straits financially.

The sentence below is an example of what kind of writing error: They said it was important for their website to increase their revenue stream.