Transcript
Module 9 - Word Choice
Module Exam
[Includes questions pertaining to Abbreviations (3), Acronyms (8), Agreement (16), Bias-Free Language (25), British English (34), Clichés (51), Compound words (63), Contractions (68), English as a Second Language (82), Gobbledygook (95), International Business English (137), Jargon (143), Modifiers (191), Plurals (238), Possessives (240), Redundant Words (262), Scientific/Technical Style (278), Signs and Symbols (286), Spelling (291), and Wordy Phrases (345)]
100 questions / 1 point each
Key
Answers are identified in boldface.
1. Wordy phrases are phrases that use too many words to ___________________.
a. create action b. elicit a response
c. express an idea d. ask a question
2. Abbreviations allow authors to avoid cumbersome ________________ of lengthy words and phrases.
a. tones b. spacing
c. sentences d. repetition
3. Acronyms are abbreviations that are __________________.
a. already familiar to an audience b. never familiar to an audience
c. too long to be written as abbreviations d. pronounced as words
4. Subjects of sentences must _______________with their verbs.
a. agree in gender b. agree in number
c. agree in action d. agree in tone
5. _____________________ mandate that an employee may not be discriminated against based on race, creed, sex, age, or national origin.
a. Corporate regulations b. United States Federal laws
c. Interpol regulations d. Good Samaritan laws
6. British English is standard throughout the British Commonwealth of Nations and among most English-speaking _____________.
a. democracies b. industries
c. organizations d. Africans and Asians
7. Clichés are _____________ phrases.
a. long b. unclear
c. worn-out d. incoherent
8. Compound words are formed when two or more words ___________________.
a. have similar meanings b. act together
c. are required to describe an action d. best clarify an action
9. Contractions are words formed by joining two words and ________________.
a. inserting an apostrophe b. hyphenating them
c. dropping letters d. shortening them
10. English is a _________________ of business
a. limited means of doing b. global language
c. standard, but not exclusive, language d. inseparable part
11. Gobbledygook is language that is long-winded and ______________.
a. exciting b. irrelevant
c. juvenile d. pompous
12. International Business English is the most common medium for _______________________ worldwide.
a. news reporting b. political interaction
c. education d. conducting business
13. Jargon has two meanings. One meaning is using familiar words ______________.
a. incorrectly b. to describe familiar things
c. in unfamiliar ways d. too often
14. Many wordy phrases are similar to ________________.
a. long sentences b. redundancies
c. conversational English d. idioms
15. Abbreviations are a form of ________________ and are appropriate in technical and business writing.
a. jargon b. shorthand
c. etiquette d. inquiry
16. Acronyms may be written in all capitals if they form _________________.
a. common words b. proper names
c. words with fewer than four letters d. a fabrication
17. Pronouns must ________________ with the persons or objects to which they refer.
a. agree in gender b. agree in number
c. agree in action d. agree in tone
18. Do not use words that unnecessarily identify a person’s race, religion, physical status, social status, age, national origin, or __________.
a. tax bracket b. children’s names
c. gender d. alumni status
19. American English is standard in the United States and among most English-speaking _____________.
a. professionals b. scientists
c. Pacific Rim Asians d. Europeans
20. Writers and speakers use clichés _______________.
a. habitually b. inconsistently
c. rarely d. effectively
21. The form of a compound varies with custom and usage as well as with _______________.
a. the context b. authorial intent
c. the length of time the compound has existed d. disciplinary guidelines
22. Contractions are not appropriate for ______________ documents.
a. legal b. personal
c. scientific d. formal
23. Spoken global English is diverse; written global English is ______________.
a. also diverse b. inconsistent
c. more standardized d. incomprehensible
24. Gobbledygook is often so abstract that it is ___________________.
a. brilliant b. unintelligible
c. lucid d. persuasive
25. Users of English should not assume that they are automatically ________________ by English speakers from other cultures.
a. understood b. welcomed
c. agreed with d. accepted
26. The other meaning of jargon refers to ____________ language.
a. complex b. specialized
c. foreign d. indistinguishable
27. Many wordy phrases have been overused so much that they have become ___________.
a. familiar b. outdated
c. jargon d. clichés
28. Eliminate ________________ in and after most abbreviations.
a. capital letters b. spacing
c. periods d. all punctuation
29. The most common acronyms are typically _________________.
a. all lowercase b. unpronounceable
c. listed as words in the dictionary d. not very familiar
30. The subject of a sentence (nouns and pronouns) should agree in number with the sentence______________.
a. tone b. action
c. verb d. cohesion
31. Do not rely on _______________often implied by the categorizations included in question 2.
a. the vocabulary b. ethical standards
c. cultural knowledge d. the stereotypes
32. Because British and American English are the main forms of English, writers should be aware of their ________________.
a. regional uses b. differences
c. rules d. pronunciations
33. Familiarity makes clichés _____________.
a. irrelevant b. convenient
c. powerful d. dynamic
34. Compound words usually begin as two or more separate, often ____________ words.
a. similar b. synonymous
c. homogenous d. unrelated
35. Use contractions to establish a _________________ tone.
a. personal b. frustrated
c. serious d. concerned
36. International English is a mix of American English and _______________.
a. Continental English b. Icelandic English
c. Standard English d. British English
37. Some writers take pride in writing gobbledygook and consider it __________________.
a. sophisticated b. cohesive
c. troublesome d. remedial
38. The pace, formality, and ____________ of communication differ among cultures.
a. delivery b. legality
c. social context d. cost
39. Do not use jargon unless your readers ___________________.
a. will understand it b. will be writing in response
c. are experts in a field that uses the same language d. can ask you questions
40. You should ______________ wordy phrases
a. avoid b. capitalize on
c. often use d. repeat
41. Use the same abbreviation for both ____________________ units of measurement.
a. European and American b. area and volume
c. standard and metric d. singular and plural
42. When you introduce ________________ acronyms, use the acronym and then, in parenthesis, spell out the name or expression.
a. scientific b. discipline-specific
c. new or unfamiliar d. older
43. Subjects connected by and require a _______________.
a. comma b. plural verb
c. conjunction d. modifier
44. When appropriate, choose terms and designations that are _______________ the group you are discussing.
a. stereotypical of b. generally representative of
c. neutral and acceptable to d. not recognized by
45. Eliminate periods in and after most ______________.
a. sentences b. abbreviations
c. quotations d. salutations
46. Using a cliché becomes a tempting alternative to _____________________.
a. a shorter phrase b. revising a sentence
c. not finishing the writing d. serious thought
47. As a new compound becomes more common, it might be written ___________.
a. as one word b. into the dictionary
c. in more than one way d. as a nominalization
48. Contractions can suggest ______________ tone.
a. a professional b. an ambivalent
c. a conversational d. a distant
49. A mastery of _____________________ is an advantage to any professional person of any nationality.
a. all forms of English b. standard written English
c. personal communication skills d. business etiquette
50. Use _______________ words and phrases whenever possible.
a. familiar and comfortable b. concrete and specific
c. discipline-specific d. short and similar
51. Business and technical professionals should take pains to use English that is easily understood and ________________.
a. always brief b. discourages misinterpretation
c. to put everything in writing d. to learn local languages
52. Jargon and gobbledygook _________________.
a. are indistinguishable b. serve the same function
c. are necessary in professional documents d. are not the same
53. Gobbledygook is clearly ___________ writing.
a. complex b. advanced
c. bad d. executive
54. Shorter, simpler words or expressions make your writing look and sound _____________.
a. simplistic b. juvenile
c. professional d. inexperienced
55. Clarify an unfamiliar abbreviation for both singular and plural __________________.
a. pronouns b. names
c. units of measurement d. subjects
56. Avoid _________________ acronyms, especially if your readers are unlikely to be very familiar with them.
a. corporate b. overusing
c. scientific d. familiar
57. Singular subjects connected by either . . . or, neither . . . nor, and not only . . . but also require a(n) ______________________.
a. singular verb b. plural verb
c. action verb d. passive verb
58. Be sure to choose graphics—especially photographs—that __________ all groups and types of people within society.
a. fairly represent b. can be understood by
c. depict d. neutralize differences of
59. Take care to make subjects agree with _____________.
a. verbs b. articles
c. nouns d. actions
60. Writers writing in English typically omit _________________.
a. explanations of clichés b. the accent mark in clichés
c. part of the cliché’s meaning d. sentences without clichés
61. Because of custom, some compound words include ______________ or space between words.
a. a symbol b. a tab
c. a hyphen d. a dash
62. Don’t use contractions with _______________.
a. action verbs b. possessive pronouns
c. complex nouns d. nominalizations
63. Avoid using ___________.
a. technical terms b. graphics
c. digital documents d. idioms
64. Make sentences short, ____________, and clear.
a. active b. traditional
c. direct d. passive
65. Always keep sentences _____________.
a. complex b. lively
c. dynamic d. short
66. Do not abbreviate a unit of measurement unless it is used in conjunction with a ____________.
a. number b. metric conversion
c. sentence d. list of measurements
67. When used as a subject or as a modifier of the subject, each, every, either, neither, one, another, much, anybody, anyone, everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, nobody, and no one require ______________.
a. an adjective b. a conjunction
c. a pronoun d. singular verbs
68. Use words that do not unnecessarily distinguish between __________________.
a. time and space b. male and female
c. races d. socio-economic status
69. Do not generally use commas before ______________.
a. a quote b. a title
c. and d. therefore
70. Many clichés were originally _____________.
a. limited to three words b. only used by the clergy
c. metaphors d. inaccurate
71. Recent ________________ often indicate how a word or compound has appeared previously.
a. grammar rules b. dictionaries
c. legal debates d. publications
72. Introduce ______________ with articles or other qualifying or quantifying words.
a. countable nouns b. new ideas
c. scientific terms d. local references
73. Avoid using words that are not in ____________________.
a. the Style Guide b. vogue
c. the dictionary d. common usage
74. Use simple sentences, but do not omit ___________________.
a. any details b. adjectives
c. necessary words d. words that contribute to tone
75. Use concise, direct __________.
a. definitions b. sentences
c. language d. jargon
76. Use concise, direct __________.
a. definitions b. sentences
c. language d. jargon
77. Do not abbreviate the names of months and days within _________________.
a. a calendar b. holiday identifications
c. the next fiscal year d. normal text
78. Collective nouns and expressions with time, money, and quantities take a singular or plural verb, depending upon ______________________.
a. the total quantity b. the verb’s action
c. their intended meaning d. the verb placement in the sentence
79. Avoid the traditional salutation _____________ if the organization receiving the letter includes males and females.
a. to whom it may concern b. Dear
c. Attention d. Gentlemen
80. Take particular care to avoid __________________ in a British context.
a. passive voice b. gobbledygook
c. jargon d. abbreviations
81. English contains ____________ clichés.
a. disciplinary b. hundreds of
c. too few d. only useful
82. ______________ compounds that modify or describe other words.
a. Emphasize b. Repeat
c. Separate d. Hyphenate
83. Be aware that verbs change meaning unpredictably when paired with ________________.
a. adverbs b. subjects
c. other verbs d. prepositions
84. Gobbledygook is not ______________ jargon.
a. as clear as b. as widely used as
c. as pompous as d. the same as
85. Account for varying levels of formality and _____________ across cultures.
a. stereotyping b. diversity
c. access d. personal distance
86. Use a possessive to modify an –ing form of a verb used as a ___________.
a. verb b. adjective
c. noun d. adverb
87. Design scientific and technical documents for ________________ and readability.
a. dramatic effect b. simplicity
c. visual impact d. distribution
88. Design scientific and technical documents for ________________ and readability.
a. dramatic effect b. simplicity
c. visual impact d. distribution
89. Avoid the __________________ form of abbreviations except in charts, graphs, illustrations, and other visual aids.
a. long b. short
c. symbol d. formal
90. Choose either a singular or a plural verb for subjects that are ____________________, and then be consistent in all other contexts with the name.
a. familiar b. ambiguous
c. complex d. organizational names
91. Avoid _____________________ gender terms for either females or males.
a. specific b. demeaning or condescending
c. non-descriptive d. unfamiliar
92. Be aware of differences between British and American ________________.
a. history b. pronunciations
c. word choice d. laws
93. Writers would find eliminating all clichés ______________.
a. necessary b. time-consuming
c. frustrating d. difficult
94. Treat compounds used as verbs as _____________ words.
a. separate b. passive
c. active d. modifying
95. Do usability testing with _________________ before publishing technical information.
a. all documents b. native speakers
c. editors d. marketing managers
96. Good writing never includes ______________.
a. details b. gobbledygook
c. jargon d. examples
97. Be particularly sensitive to ________________ across cultures.
a. religious beliefs b. social hierarchies
c. educational approaches d. writing standards
98. Add only an apostrophe to form the possessive for both plural nouns and singular nouns ending in –s or ________________.
a. an –s sound b. –er
c. –ing d. -ed
99. Above all, be as ______________ as possible.
a. brief b. verbose
c. technical d. accurate