Deck 4: Achieving a Readable Style

Question 1

A good paragraph includes…

A) Excessive information.
B) Only relevant information.
C) Places numbers in front of sentences to help readers follow the order.
D) Subject-matter expert terminology.

Answer 1

B
Explanation: A paragraph is a group of sentences that begins with a statement of the central idea, called the topic sentence. The supporting sentences build on the idea stated in this topic sentence and should occur in a logical order. A good paragraph begins with a topic sentence that summarizes the ideas to come, includes only information relevant to the topic sentence, places sentences in a logical order, and is not long.

Question 2

An effective style is…

A) a style that shows off your intelligence.
B) may require readers to study your sentences carefully.
C) has lengthy sentences and paragraphs.
D) a style that will make it more likely that your writing will be read.

Answer 2

D
Explanation: Style refers to the way you express your ideas in a document; style refers to paragraphs, to sentence structure, and the words and phrases you choose. If you want your report to be read, use a style that your readers can follow easily. If your readers can't understand your report as they read it and must constantly reread sentences and paragraphs, they may just disregard it or toss it out. Unreadable documents usually result from ineffective style.

Question 3

Sentences in a paragraph should…

A) follow a logical order.
B) flow from short to long.
C) flow from short to long.
D) flow from long to short.

Answer 3

A
Explanation: A paragraph is a group of sentences that begins with a statement of the central idea, called the topic sentence. The supporting sentences build on the idea stated in this topic sentence and should occur in a logical order. A good paragraph begins with a topic sentence that summarizes the ideas to come, includes only information relevant to the topic sentence, places sentences in a logical order, and is not long.

Question 4

You are responsible for writing how to take a prescription drug, and during your audience analysis, you determine that your readers are all doctor and other healthcare professionals. This knowledge allows you to determine that you will include what kind of terminology in the document?

A) Only simple terms for a lay audience.
B) Only substitute terms for scientific terminology.
C) Jargon and specialized nomenclature.
D) Only terms that Wikipedia defines for the audience.

Question 5

In the workplace, readers value a style that is…

A) Impressive
B) Clever
C) Concise
D) Confusing

Question 6

Evaluate the sentences below for this question:
1) John loves Mary because she inherited money.
2) Mary's inheritance of money was one of the reasons for John's interest in Mary.

A) Sentence 2 is clearer because it has a higher verb/word ratio.
B) Sentence 1 is clearer because it has a higher verb/word ratio.
C) Sentence 2 is clearer because of the parallel structure between "Mary's" and "John's."
D) Sentence 2 is clearer because of the parallel structure between "Mary's" and "John's."

Question 7

Evaluate the sentences below for this question:
1) There were several bugs on my windshield this morning because there was a lot of wind yesterday.
2) The wind yesterday flung a lot of bugs on my windshield.

A) Sentence 2 is clearer because it has a higher verb/word ratio.
B) Sentence 1 is clearer because it has a clear subject (wind) and verb (flung).
C) Sentence 2 is clearer because it uses a lot of "is/are" verbs.
D) Sentence 1 is less clear because it excludes relevant information, such as the time of the day the bugs were found on the windshield.

Question 8

Knowing how familiar your readers are with the subject you are writing about will tell you…

A) whether you can use cognates or not.
B) how concrete your verbs should be.
C) if acronyms and jargon need to be defined.
D) how often you can use pronouns.

Question 9

Performing a thorough, detailed analysis of the rhetorical situation and determining your readers' knowledge of the subject, their expectations about the style, and their probable reading level, as well as knowing the purpose of your communication, you are able to more effectively…

A) Write clear prose.
B) Write concise prose.
C) Adjust the style to the readers, the purpose, and the context.
D) All of the above.

Question 10

Writing for conciseness means you write for…

A) Clarity
B) Brevity
C) Clarity and brevity.
D) Accessibility

Question 11

In the below sentence, select a more clear term to replace the underlined word.
The project is going to be terminated if you do not perform your part of the work.

A) Ended
B) Halted
C) Progressed
D) Dead ended

Question 12

In the below sentence, select a more clear term to replace the underlined word.
In school, I endeavor to get only As and write better so I can get a good job.

A) Journey
B) Try
C) Endear
D) Look

Question 13

How many words is considered to be a long sentence?

A) Five to 10
B) Ten to fifteen
C) Fifteen to twenty
D) At a minimum of five words that are complex or ten words that are simple.

Question 14

In active voice, the agent…

A) is acted upon.
B) does the action.
C) is always a human being.
D) does not appear in the sentence.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of active voice?

A) Most of the work for this project has been performed by my assistant.
B) The product surface is reconstructed to comply with tolerance specifications.
C) The division staff attempted to assess the project using quantitative data.
D) The gap is filled by a course-grained reconfigurable architecture.

Question 16

Clearly and concisely define style.

Question 17

How might knowledge of the audience's technical expertise affect style?

Question 18

Explain the difference between clarity and brevity.

Question 19

You are writing a users' manual for a new software program that allows users to collaborate digitally on a document and see each other's edits, as well as perform virtual meetings while collaborating on the document.
You know that to write a clear and concise users' manual that includes instructions for how to perform different actions and functions of the software, you need to use active voice. Explain the guidelines concerning passive/active voice and how attention to verbs results in an effective style. You might use a concrete example of a passive statement you would avoid using and an active statement..

Question 20

Chapter 4 describes the four key elements to developing effective, clear paragraphs.
Effective paragraphs don't happen by accident. Explain the four elements of effective paragraphs from the textbook and how each contributes to a clear, concise style.
escribes reasons to adjust style to the needs of your readers. Name these reasons and explain how they affect style. You may want to use a concrete example to help express why the four reasons are important considerations when planning a communication.

Question 21

What does style refer to?

A) Your attention to an audience's needs.
B) Your sense of fashion.
C) The clothes you wear to work.
D) The way you express your ideas in a document, including how you write paragraphs, sentences, and the words and phrases you choose.

Question 22

What is a contributor to your readers' disregarding your writing?

A) It is not written in their language.
B) Poor or ineffective style.
C) When readers must keep rereading paragraphs and sentences that becomes distracting.
D) Both b and c.

Question 23

What is one aspect of your reader you must consider in order to adjust your style to meet their needs?

A) The readers' knowledge of the subject.
B) The readers' expectations about the type of style that should be used.
C) The readers' context of use.
D) All of the above.

Question 24

What style problem exists in the following paragraph:
I began my Saturday by cooking a healthy breakfast. But first I got up, and got dressed, and walked the dog, and brushed my teeth. I made oatmeal and had blueberries. It was delicious. My dog liked the walk.

A) The sentences are not in a logical order.
B) The sentences are not consistently of the same length: some are long and some are short.
C) An average reader will not understand the adjective, "delicious," and thus the writer must use a different term.
D) Both a and b.

Question 25

What is a paragraph?

A) A group of words that are placed together to create meaning.
B) The punctuation you use in a sentence.
C) A paragraph is a group of sentences that begins with a statement of the central idea, called the topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences in a logical order.
D) The distracting pop-ups that appear on the side of websites.

Question 26

Determining your readers' knowledge level of the subject you are writing about helps you to select…

A) The terminology and jargon you will use in the communication.
B) The type of paper you will print your communication on.
C) How you will deliver your communication.
D) The color font you will use.

Question 27

How can you achieve "squeaky clean prose?"

A) Use words readers' understand and are familiar with.
B) Write logical and concise paragraphs.
C) Use a variety of sentences of moderate length.
D) All of the above.

Question 28

The company you work for produces many reports for clients. All reports are sent via a secure email as a PDF attachment, and the reports all have a cover letter introducing the purpose of the document and a title page with your company's logo on it. You receive an email with a report. When you open it, the first page has the table of contents one it. You automatically know this report is not produced by your company. How do you know?

A) The report was in a PDF not a Word document like your company sends.
B) The table of contents was incorrect.
C) The report does not appear to use the correct template used by your company, which includes a cover letter and title page.
D) The PDF report was not attached.

Question 29

One key to developing effective sentences is…

A) Use passive voice so you do not seem too aggressive.
B) Keep subjects and verbs close together.
C) Use a lot of adjectives.
D) Avoid using terms that your readers understand.

Question 30

One key to developing effective sentences is…

A) Use passive voice so you do not seem too aggressive.
B) Keep subjects and verbs close together.
C) Use a lot of adjectives.
D) Avoid using terms that your readers understand.
The rest of this test will be based on the following scenario: Elaine has always written papers. Now, as part of her first job, she has to plan documents. Her very first assignment is to design an in-house brochure on recycling. She realizes that the biggest difference between writing papers in school and planning documents in the workplace involves the audience. As part of her overall planning strategy she decides to write a brief online survey.

Question 31

Elaine's first question is "Do you recycle at home?" She asks this question because it will answer one of the following questions:

A) How familiar are her readers with the subject matter?
B) Will most of her readers be stationary of mobile?
C) What context of use will her readers be in?
D) What degree of recycling she should have readers aim for?

Question 32

Elaine asks, "What source do you typically use the most to access information: Internet, Brochures, Letters in the mail?" Elaine asks this question because…

A) She wants to determine how long it will take here to write the document.
B) She wants to determine what type of style or medium of communication her audience expects and will use the most.
C) She wants to determine what color paper to use.
D) The question was formulated to weed out inattentive or dishonest answers.

Question 33

Elaine asks, "Do you recycle Polyethylene Terephthalate plastics?" Why is this an ineffective, poorly written question?

A) Elaine's audience may not be familiar with the term, "Polyethylene Terephthalate," which is the complex term for the most common form of recyclable plastic identified with a, "1," on the bottom; thus, she her audience may not understand the term and not be able to answer correctly or honestly.
B) Elaine is using the exact scientific term.
C) Elaine is distracting her audience with pompous language.
D) It is written clearly; it isn't a bad question.

Question 34

Elaine asks, "Do you recycle Polyethylene Terephthalate plastics?" Why is this an ineffective, poorly written question?

A) Elaine's audience may not be familiar with the term, "Polyethylene Terephthalate," which is the complex term for the most common form of recyclable plastic identified with a, "1," on the bottom; thus, she her audience may not understand the term and not be able to answer correctly or honestly.
B) Elaine is using the exact scientific term.
C) Elaine is distracting her audience with pompous language.
D) It is written clearly; it isn't a bad question.

Question 35

Elaine asks, "Do you recycle Polyethylene Terephthalate plastics?" What words could she use that her audience would be more familiar with and improve the clarity of the question? (Hint: Polyethylene Terephthalate is the most common form of recyclable plastic and indicated on plastics with a "1.")

A) Do you recycle common plastics, like water and soda bottles?
B) Do you recycle plastic bottles, like water and soda bottles that have a number 1 on the bottom?
C) Do you recycle plastics that have a number 1 on the bottom?
D) All of the above are more effective and clear than Elaine's question.

Question 36

Chapter 4 describes five key principles for writing effective sentences. Select two of these guidelines and compare and contrast the difference between good and bad writing.

Question 37

For each of the following words, provide a shorter, simpler word that would be more appropriate when writing for clarity.
utilize
anticipate
cooperate
indicate
prohibit

Question 38

For each of the following statements, revise them for clarity.
I will be using my phone to make a phone call to you on May 1^st and if you have any questions, at that time, you can ask me.
The company that I am applying to just recently not long ago hired my friend so I think a I have a pretty good chance of getting hired because he might be able to put in a "good word for me."
You know, it has been told that the company is trying to reduce waste so you must comply with the new rule that you have to recycle all your water bottles.

Question 39

Part of your role as a content writer for an engineering firm requires you to review and proofread co-workers' communications prior to being published on your corporate website. A co-worker in the marketing department wrote a few paragraphs about a new device that was going to be released soon and asked you to review it prior to it being released to the public. He wrote:
We are excited to launch the new digital wireless sensor that knows your needs before you do. This sensor measures medical data and transfers it to your medical provider at another location via telecommunication technology. Although no human testing has been done as of yet, that we know of, we know this will be a huge step for the medical community in being able to bring healthcare to patients around the country. Also, it is suppose to be pretty easy to use, we believe, because it there are only three steps to take to hook it up to your body and send the medical data to your provider. Remember the date of June 21, that is the date it is coming out.
Re-write the paragraph for clarity and with attention to a target audience of an older demographic. Next, writer a brief response to your co-worker about the changes you made and why. You can include references from Chapter 4 to support your argument and defend your decisions.

Question 40

Chapter 4 describes reasons to adjust style to the needs of your readers. Name these reasons and explain how they affect style. You may want to use a concrete example to help express why the four reasons are important considerations when planning a communication.