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Module 1 Lecture 4 Exercises (answer key below)

1- Writing is a _________ that can be learnt by doing and practicing.
a. method
b. strategy
c. skill
d. project
e. design

2- One of the best ways to become a good writer is to become a good ____________.
a. reader
b. listener
c. speaker
d. communicator

3- Which of the following is not a strategy of effective writing?

a. Use an outline
b. Decide what information you need to include
c. Answer the 5 Hs and W
d. Be simple and direct

4- Effective writing is about conveying your thoughts and purposes in a clear way, and that starts with
____________ showing a clear objective achieved through a beginning, a middle and an end.
a. a brainstorming
b. an outline
c. strong verbs
d. a limited number of adjectives and adverbs

5- Clear, effective writing uses clear, strong verbs. One element of using strong verbs is to write in
_____________.
a. passive voice
b. past simple
c. long sentences
d. active voice

6- Aim for a ‘diction’ that is simple and direct. This means that you should ____________.
a. use short sentences
b. choose simple and strong verbs
c. use simple phrases
d. choose simple and direct words

7- _________ is the process of looking at each sentence's efficiency and identifying and correcting any errors in
grammar, punctuation and spelling.
a. Editing
b. Revising
c. Proofreading
d. All of the above
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8- Poems are considered an example of ______________.

a. expressive writing
b. expository writing
c. journalism
d. technical writing

9- Narratives are considered an example of ______________.

a. expressive writing
b. expository writing
c. journalism
d. technical writing

10- Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular subject that requires
_________.
a. direction
b. explanation
c. instruction
d. All of the above

11- __________ are not of the areas included in technical writing.

a. Memos
b. E-mails
c. Letters
d. Reports
e. Short messages

12- People read literature_______, essays_______, and journalism_______. People read technical writing
_______.
a. for enlightenment/ for news/ to accomplish a job/ for pleasure
b. for pleasure/ for enlightenment/ to accomplish a job/ for news
c. for pleasure/ for enlightenment/ for news/ to accomplish a job
d. for pleasure/ for news/ to accomplish a job/ for enlightenment

13- “Technical writing should be concise, using short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.” This
statement emphasizes how the ________ in technical writing should be.
a. style
b. grammar
c. document design
d. brainstorming process

14- Document __________ refers to the physical layout of the correspondence.

a. style
b. design
c. subject matter
d. outline
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15- Which of the following is not a trait of technical writing?

a. Clarity
b. Conciseness
c. Accessible document design
d. Necessity
e. Audience recognition
f. Accuracy

16- Clarity can be achieved through the following questions EXECET:

a. Who is the audience?
b. What do you plan to do?
c. When should the job be completed?
d. Where will the work take place?
e. Why is the task being undertaken?
f. How long does it take to perform the task?

17- Conciseness in technical writing can be achieved through __________.

a. avoiding short words
b. using short sentences
c. using prepositional phrases
d. changing all multisyllabic words
e. All of the above

18- Which of the following is not of the highlighting techniques used to make accessible document design?
a. boldface
b. headings and subheadings
c. varied font sizes
d. bullets
e. varied audiences
f. varied font types
g. italics

19- A medical doctor writing to a staff nurse would be writing ______________.

a. Low Tech to High Tech
b. High Tech to High Tech
c. High Tech to Low Tech
d. Low Tech to Low Tech

20- No matter who the reader is or why the letter has been written, a letter should have ______ essential
components.
a. eight
b. five
c. seven
d. six
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21- Knowing how to communicate clearly and effectively in writing can help you to perform well and advance
in your study and career.
a. True
b. False

22- Your audience's opinion about your subject matter, as well as their interests, age, personality, location and
education level will all have no effect on how they think and feel about what you communicate to them.
a. True
b. False

23- A sentence that is cluttered with too many adjectives and adverbs makes the readers focus on its main purpose.
a. True
b. False

24- One mistake that effective writers often make is trying to make their language too flowery or worrying
about using bigger words when a smaller one works well.
a. True
b. False

25- Revising is the final step before submitting your work. It is similar to editing but involves going through
your work in even finer detail to ensure that it is completely ready for an audience.
a. True
b. False

26- The main purpose of technical writing is to provide clear information to readers in a way that they can
understand and apply, even if they don't have prior knowledge of the topic.
a. True
b. False

27- professional writers and business people consider grammar as an inessential element for effective technical
writing.
a. True
b. False

28- Grammar is so important in technical writing. Whereas errors often can hide in longer essays, those same
errors loom large and clear in one-page memos or letters.
a. True
b. False

29- Technical writing uses highlighting techniques and graphics for visual appeal to help the reader access and
understand the data.
a. True
b. False
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30- If the correspondence is not clearly understood, the reader will either call the writer for further clarification,
or just ignore the information. In either case, the writer’s time is wasted; the reader’s time is wasted; and the
message is lost.
a. True
b. False

31- Which of the following is not a component of memos?

a. Date
b. Sender
c. Receiver
d. Subject
e. Reader’s address

32- A memo is a short official note that is sent by one person to another within the same company or
organization.
a. True
b. False

33- Which of the following doesn’t show the importance of e-mails?

a. Millions of people use e-mails all over the world.
b. E-mail messages outnumber first-class letters.
c. They allow a writer to instantly communicate with a reader.
d. They can be sent to a limited number of readers at the same time.

34- Which of the following is not a component of reports?

a. Introduction
b. Body
c. Conclusion
d. Signature

35- The body of the report explains what exactly you accomplished and what _____________.
a. problems you encountered
b. what procedure you followed and
c. what you learned from the task
d. what options exist as feasible solutions to a problem
e. All of the above

36- A resumé must be _________.

a. unclear
b. concise,
c. inaccessible
d. incorrect
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37- Which of the following is not of the components of a resume?

a. Identification
b. Objectives
c. Education
d. Work experience
e. Conclusion
f. References

38- Applicants will use different resumés according to the job they are applying for. The same cover letter, in
contrast, should be written for all job opportunities.
a. True
b. False

39- A _________ is a piece of paper containing an advertisement or information, usually given out to people
walking by.
a. flier
b. brochure
c. newsletter
d. PowerPoint presentation

40- Normally, instructions and fliers include line art, a memo includes a table, and a PowerPoint slide includes a
bar chart.
a. True
b. False
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Answer Key
1- C
2- A
3- C
4- B
5- D
6- D
7- A
8- A
9- B
10- D
11- E
12- C
13- A
14- B
15- D
16- F
17- B
18- E
19- C
20- A
21- A
22- B
23- B
24- B
25- B
26- A
27- B
28- A
29- A
30- A
31- E
32- A
33- D
34- D
35- E
36- B
37- E
38- B
39- A
40- A