Final Exam Flashcards
One of three key concepts in all technical communications—clarity—is best defined as being _____.
Easy to understand
The rhetorical triangle commonly used in communication analysis today is composed of _____.
Four elements: audience, communicator, message, and context
Which statement is not true of audience in technical writing?
It is the situation or circumstances in which true communication occurs
Which definition best describes development as a principle of effective writing?
It refers to the depth of ideas and how they are presented in writing
Adequately addressing the characteristics of a particular audience makes the difference between _____.
An appropriate tone or an inappropriate one, engaging or alienating them, and building or losing credibility
How can a technical writer best ensure the message will meet all of the needs of the audience?
Determine the best writing style, tone, format, and method delivery
Which question does not reflect an ethical consideration on the part of a technical writer?
I want to write “do a one-eighty.” Should I write “turn 180 degrees” instead?
What is true about the function of an executive summary in a technical proposal?
It highlights the main points of the proposal on a single page
In the specific, formal structure of most technical proposals, where is credit given for quoted or paraphrased source material?
Works cited page
What fundamentals apply to social media content as well as every other type of technical writing?
Rhetorical situation: communicator, audience, message, and context
Which list identifies examples of common development types?
Questionnaires, polls, surveys, and interviews
Graphs, charts, tables and figures
Definitions, such as denotation or connotation
Which statement is true of a coherently organized body paragraph?
It starts with one thought - a topic sentence
An effective sentence structure is one in which there is noun-verb agreement. Which example does not show such agreement?
The alumnus are going to the class reunion
Which sentence is a correct example of the principle of right word usage?
I accept the truth wholeheartedly
Incorrect spelling, capitalization, and punctuation can _____.
Cause the audience to reject the document
Undermine the credibility of the writer
Completely change the meaning of a sentence
Using the writing process can help technical writers to _____.
Create a document that is clear, useful, and reader centered
A step in Stage 1 of the writing process is one of the most important things you can do to avoid writer’s block. What is it?
Generate ideas by free writing, brainstorming, and so on
The goal of Stage 4 of the writing process - revising - is to _____.
Ensure completeness and accuracy
Stage 5 of the writing process—editing—is critical to the technical writer because errors _____.
Can cause misunderstandings
Undermine the credibility of the document
Create a bad impression of your company
Stage 5 of the writing process—editing— is _____.
The final check for error in spelling, grammar, and mechanics
What is not a benefit of doing research as part of your writing process?
It eliminates the need to generate ideas
Ways to research secondary data do not include _____.
Designing and conducting topic-specific experiments
Which is the best definition of the term annotate? When writing a document, you use internal citations after every instance where you _____.
Paraphrase another writer’s work, quote another writer’s work, or summarize another writer’s work
The double-entry notes method of notetaking is used to make a record of _____.
Reactions to source material when you first read it
Which is not a consideration for gathering primary data by way of observation?
Quantified data is necessary to its credibility
Which of the following is not a characteristic of object description, a commonly used pattern of writing technical documents?
It provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the object
The organizational criteria for the formal classification pattern of writing is called an objective characteristic, which is defined as _____.
A characteristic that is not open to interpretation or judgement
Which description of a common fallacy is called a post hoc, ergo propter hoc?
It is expressed as “X caused Y, because X happened before Y”
Which is a common rhetorical technique that is especially useful in the introduction of a persuasive document?
Include a little-known fact
For technical documents that are written for the purpose of informing or solving a problem, a technique for writing an introduction is to _____.
Build it around elements of the rhetorical triangle
Among the rhetorical techniques used for writing conclusions is to _____.
Predict the outcome if the problem is not managed or solved
Revision typically involves rethinking the document as a whole. Which question is not directly related to this stage of the writing process?
Is the writing itself free of surface errors, such as grammar and spelling mistakes?
Which is not a consideration for conducting an effective review of a technical document?
Select reviewers who can fill in gaps or answer questions about content or direction
Asking readers to recall information or explain concepts from a technical document they have read twice is what kind of test?
Understandability
Guidelines for writing web content include which one of the following?
If you’ve included external links, test them frequently to ensure they remain unbroken
Which statement about the guidelines for writing for social media is not true?
It is exactly the same as writing for any other kind of technical document
What is a consideration for choosing images for your web page?
Select images that help make text scannable, as well as add visual appeal
Choose a header image that reflects both the tone and the subject of your writing
Ensure images aren’t so large that they cause the page to load slowly
What is true about the CPTC Foundation exam?
When you pass, your name is added to the STC certification database
As you follow your reading/study schedule for exam preparation, you find that you are already familiar with the content of some of the required reading. You should _____.
Reread and review that material carefully
