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Test your basic knowledge |
Technical Writing Style Vocab
Start Test
Study First
Subject
:
writing-skills
Instructions:
Answer 42 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can
study here
.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.
This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Two words with the same meaning joined by 'and': e.g. - 'each and every -' 'full and complete -' 'null and void -' 'first and foremost -' etc.... To fix: removed extra words.
Conciseness
Redundant Pair
Objective descriptions
Non-Specific Language
2. 'Against the person' arguments attacks a person who supports a dissenting position - rather than the position.
Misplaced Modifier
Ad hominem
Appeals to authority
No Actor in Subject
3. Can take 2 forms; citing a person who is not an expert in the subject being discussed or failing to describe the reasons that support an expert's opinion.
Tie-In Problem
Appeals to authority
Accuracy
Misplaced Modifier
4. The mistaken view that there are only 2 possible solutions to a problem.
Offensive Language
Tu quoque
False dichotomies
Inflated Language
5. Spell check
Ad hominem
Begging the question
Slippery slopes
Accuracy
6. 'You too' attacks points out the hypocrisy of a person who supports a dissenting position.
Nominalization
Audience recognition
Post hoc
Tu quoque
7. The extent to which the elements of a document develop a shared idea.
Unity
Post hoc
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Inflated Language
8. Unnecessary intensifier or explainer that is already implied by one (or more) of the words: e.g. - 'very unique -' 'free gift -' 'green in color -' 'round in shape -' etc... To fix: remove extra words.
Appeals to authority
Non-Specific Language
Redundant Modifier
Subject/Verb Separation
9. A verb acting as a noun and hiding the main action of the sentence. Find all the nouns in a sentence - then see if they could be verbs - if they can - they are nominalizations. Use common sense to change all the nominalizations you can without changi
Subjective descriptions
Misplaced Modifier
Non-Specific Language
Nominalization
10. A tangential issue that is addressed in order to distract the readers from the main problem
Cultural Idiom
False dichotomies
Slippery slopes
Red herrings
11. A series of actions - a list of several things - a bullet list for example - or a sentence that is divided into two parts - in these cases when a main verb control several phrases that follow it - each of those phrases has to be set up in the same w
Ad hominem
Faulty Word Choice
Subjective descriptions
Parallel construction
12. When sentences are not tied together using the old/new information principle. To fix: New information comes at the end of a sentence to introduce the new idea. Once a writer has introduced the new info - then it becomes old information and is availab
Tie-In Problem
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Accessibility
Clarity
13. Have someone else read your document
Inflated Language
Accuracy
Post hoc
Ad populum
14. To draw a conclusion that is more extreme than the evidence supports
Accuracy
Missing the point
Redundant Modifier
Cultural Idiom
15. When the writer puts unimportant information at the end of a sentence. The end of a sentence is the last thing the reader remembers and only important information belongs there. Avoid ending sentences with phrases such as - 'however -' 'according to
Missing the point
Emphasis Problem
Tech Term Placement
Passive Voice
16. Three or more nouns together can slow reading. To fix: break these long noun phrases up by adding in articles or prepositions.
Emphasis Problem
Slippery slopes
Post hoc
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
17. Based on opinions.
Faulty Word Choice
Subjective descriptions
Redundant Modifier
Passive Voice
18. Use personal pronouns
False dichotomies
Tech Term Placement
Audience recognition
Misplaced Modifier
19. This issue makes sentences more difficult to read for the average person. Anytime a writer places words between the subject and the verb - the writer is slowing the action of the sentence. Use sparingly and only when necessary. Subject/Verb Separatio
Subject/Verb Separation
Subjective descriptions
Tie-In Problem
Faulty Word Choice
20. A modifiying phrase or clause that does not sensibly modify any word or words in a sentence. Usually the actor is missing from the sentence: e.g. - 'Reading a book - the black cat crawled onto my lap.' The cat was not reading the book. To fix: add an
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Subjective descriptions
Dangling Modifier
Negative Language
21. Be brief and to the point - use active voice - avoid redundancy
Ad hominem
Faulty Word Choice
Conciseness
Tech Term Placement
22. Words that the average 8th grade level reader and below would not be familiar with. Any jargon from a specific field. Use sparingly in technical documents unless you know your audience has the necessary vocabulary. Example: 'Pursuant to our conversat
Inflated Language
Post hoc
Slippery slopes
Parallel construction
23. Most important trait - Have an understandable message - avoid vague words - answer the reader's questions
Faulty Word Choice
Clarity
Subjective descriptions
Tech Term Placement
24. Assumes a chain of events will happen - even thought the evidence does not support the entire chain.
Parallel construction
Red herrings
Passive Voice
Slippery slopes
25. Language that is not clear or detailed. Non-specific language often related to numbers and times: soon - few - many - several. Non-specific language can include 'it' if it begins a sentence or is without clear prior reference.
Audience recognition
Non-Specific Language
Conciseness
Inflated Language
26. Technical information that your readers are unfamiliar with should come at the end of sentences. Sentences that open with unfamiliar technical terms slow readers.
Misplaced Modifier
Tech Term Placement
No Actor in Subject
Offensive Language
27. Page layout - make headings larger than body text - use highlighting techniques
Tech Term Placement
Appeals to authority
Ad hominem
Accessibility
28. Often found with the word 'not.' Tell readers what they need to know and what they should be doing instead of focusing on what they should not be doing: e.g. - 'You do not not have homework -' is more difficult to read and understand than - 'You have
Tech Term Placement
Ad hominem
Red herrings
Negative Language
29. A word or phrase apparently modifying an unintended word because of its placement in a sentence: e.g. - 'when young' in 'when young - circuses appeal to all of us' or 'wearing a ball gown' in the sentence - 'She sat on the lap of a fat man wearing a
Tu quoque
Dangling Modifier
Accuracy
Misplaced Modifier
30. 1. Words that can have more than one meaning in the context of the sentence: e.g. - 'The teacher was mad -' --was she insane or angry? 2. Typos - misspellings - homonyms used incorrectly.
Cultural Idiom
Faulty Word Choice
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Clarity
31. This style error occurs when the person or entity performing the action is not in the subject position of the sentence. To fix: move the actor (what performs the action) to the subject position in the sentence.
Audience recognition
Negative Language
Nominalization
No Actor in Subject
32. Language that alienates a specific group or gender: e.g - 'Policeman' becomes 'Police Officer -' 'man-made' becomes 'synthetic -' 'autistic children' becomes 'children with autism -' etc...
Accuracy
Offensive Language
Red herrings
False dichotomies
33. Consider the needs of the reader
Tu quoque
Slippery slopes
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Audience recognition
34. Are built when a watered down or misrepresented version of one side is described and then attacked.
Post hoc
Conciseness
Strawmen
Objective descriptions
35. Words that pad a sentence without adding anything of value: e.g.: 'due to the fact that' is unnecessary when writers have 'because' to use. 'In order to' does not need the 'in order' portion to communicate the same message.
Accuracy
Tie-In Problem
Unnecessary Words
Unity
36. The voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb. This style error hides credit for ideas and can often indicate sloppy research. Passive Voice Formula: ('to be' v
Passive Voice
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Audience recognition
Emphasis Problem
37. A conclusion based on a sample size that is too small or limited.
Faulty Word Choice
Hasty generalizations
Parallel construction
Subject/Verb Separation
38. Slang - cliches - or brand names that belong only to a specific group or culture: e.g.: 'I went home and crashed -' becomes 'I went home and napped -' 'Band-Aids' becomes 'bandages -' 'White Out' becomes 'liquid paper' or 'correction fluid -' etc....
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Slippery slopes
Redundant Modifier
Cultural Idiom
39. 'To the people' argument relies on public opinion to support a position
Audience recognition
Ad populum
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Accessibility
40. To base a conclusion on a piece of information that is essentially a restatement of the conclusion or to ignore flaws in a core piece of information.
Begging the question
Accessibility
Missing the point
Non-Specific Language
41. Assumes a casual relationship between 2 events.
Conciseness
Post hoc
Tech Term Placement
Emphasis Problem
42. Based on facts - not opinions.
Audience recognition
Objective descriptions
Stacked Noun (Noun + Noun + Noun)
Slippery slopes