Deck 20: Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Question 1

How is the following definition flawed: "In a bankruptcy action, a nonsecured debt is a debt that is not secured"?

Answer 1

not answered

Question 2

According to Chapter 20, many companies are uneasy about using instructional videos and so prefer to rely on printed documentation instead.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The partitioning technique for creating an extended definition often appears in tandem with one or more other techniques.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

According to Chapter 20, there is no absolute distinction between a set of instructions and a manual.

Question 5

It is important to revise, edit, and proofread instructions to ensure that readers will be able to complete the task described safely.

Question 6

What are the four signal words commonly used to indicate the levels of seriousness in comments?

Question 7

What are the three types of descriptions discussed in Chapter 20?

Question 8

A set of instructions is a type of definition.

Question 9

A conventions section explains to readers how a manual uses typography to signify different kinds of information. One example is using the Courier typeface for text the reader is supposed to type.

Question 10

According to Chapter 20, the safety of your company's products (and the effectiveness of your company's instructions) is a matter of contract law.

Question 11

The introduction to a set of instructions should answer six questions, one of which is "Why should the reader carry out this task?" According to Chapter 20, what is one other question?

Question 12

Placing definitions directly in the text is a common practice. According to Chapter 20, what are two other logical locations for definitions?

Question 13

Descriptions are rarely incorporated into longer documents; instead, they usually appear as separate documents.

Question 14

How is the following definition flawed: "Booting a computer is when you turn it on"?

Question 15

What technique is used in the following definition: "RADAR originally stood for 'radio detection and ranging,' but these days it is rarely used as an acronym and instead appears as the noun radar"?

Question 16

Chapter 20 lists three steps in writing definitions. One is analyzing the writing situation. What are the other two steps?

Question 17

What is the function of a conventions section?

Question 18

Part of the challenge of deciding where to put a definition lies in the fact that a writer has several viable options.

Question 19

What technique is used to clarify the term inflammable in the following definition: "An inflammable substance is not a substance that cannot catch fire; on the contrary, an inflammable substance catches fire quite easily"?

Question 20

Step-by-step instructions should be written in the imperative mood.

Question 21

H&G Garden Supplies is revising its instruction booklet for assembling and installing its redwood garden arbor. The set contains two 6-foot trellises, two planter boxes, and a pair of adjustable arches. Which of the following should you NOT include in the back matter of the instruction booklet?

A) a troubleshooting guide
B) instructions on how to order replacement parts
C) warranty information
D) safety information

Question 22

Which of the following is the most effective title for a section in a set of instructions on bicycle maintenance and repair?

A) Caliper Brake Shoe Yaw Angle Adjustment
B) Adjusting the Yaw Angle of Caliper Brake Shoes
C) Fixing Caliper Brake Shoes
D) How-to Adjusting Brake Shoes Yaw Angle

Question 23

A writer is drafting the conclusion of a lengthy process description explaining to consumers how a company's new voice-recognition product works. Which of the following elements would be LEAST appropriate for the conclusion?

A) a brief review of the uses of voice-recognition technology
B) a sales message summarizing the benefits of the product
C) a short summary of the principal steps in the process
D) a brief discussion of the implications of the process

Question 24

According to Chapter 20, what is the primary way to indicate the nature and the scope of a description?

A) writing an effective title or section heading to precede the description
B) using color cues and formatting changes
C) describing the nature and scope in the introduction to the report
D) creating a sentence definition that mentions the nature and the scope of the description

Question 25

A writer wants to describe how screen printing works. Which of the following is NOT likely to appear in the process description?

A) a diagram illustrating the parts of the screen-printing machine
B) a step-by-step guide to performing the process
C) a sentence definition of screen printing
D) a section heading or title indicating the nature and scope of the description

Question 26

According to Chapter 20, what is an effective way to conclude a description?

A) with a restatement of key points from the introduction
B) with a summary of major points and, in some cases, a brief description of how the parts or process steps work together
C) with information on maintenance or troubleshooting
D) with distinguishing characteristics

Question 27

According to Chapter 20, an effective process description fully describes which of the following?

A) glossary terms
B) substeps
C) subplots
D) frames of reference

Question 28

Read the following instruction steps for creating an automated index of web files. Then indicate which instruction steps are NOT effectively written. 1) Open Windows Explorer to c:\ program files\autoindex\
)
2) Copy the folders containing your web files to the folder named "indexer." If autoindex does not contain an indexer folder, you must reinstall the software. See the installation booklet.
3) Type the appropriate path-for instance, c:\ program files\autoindex\ indexer\ indexer.exe webfolder1, webfolder2, etc.
4) Indexer now has a folder called IndexSearch. The executable file, index.exe, may be run to view the searchable index of your web files.

A) steps 1 and 3
B) steps 2 and 3
C) steps 3 and 4
D) steps 2 and 4

Question 29

What is one common way of concluding a set of instructions?

A) with a summary of the steps in the process
B) with a list of resources for additional information about the task
C) with a review of warnings
D) with a troubleshooting guide

Question 30

Which of the critiques listed below applies to the following description of a process? "Getting a College Degree"
First, you must apply to schools you want to attend. Pick good schools to apply to.
Next, you must enroll at a college.
After you have enrolled, you must pick a degree program. Take every course you need.
After you take all of your courses, you will have a degree. Congratulations!

A) This description has an effective introduction.
B) This description lacks sufficient detail on substeps.
C) This description has an effective conclusion.
D) This description challenges readers to learn new vocabulary.

Question 31

You are a technical writer for Landson Toy Company. Landson has just designed a new, more durable swing set for 6- to 10-year-olds. Which of the following should you include in the Introduction to the assembly guide for the swing set?

A) a list of the tools the user needs to assemble the swing set
B) the reasons the user should carry out the instructions
C) the safety precautions the user must take
D) a list of parts included with the swing set for assembly

Question 32

You are writing a manual for a deep fryer designed for home cooks. Which statement would be appropriately set off with Note as a signal word?

A) Corn balls will be very hot when removed from the oil.
B) The fry zone is very hot when the power is on. To avoid serious burns, do not touch the fry zone while it is heated.
C) The fry basket can hold 4-6 small doughnuts at a time.
D) Do not attempt to fix the deep fryer while it is connected to a power source.

Question 33

Which of the following best describes the definition "A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that has a conjunctive function between two clauses"?

A) This is a simple, but effective, sentence definition.
B) This is a circular definition.
C) This sentence definition describes its item with clear distinguishing characteristics.
D) This is a stipulative definition.

Question 34

Several organizations have guidelines and standards for communicating information about safety. Which of the following is NOT one of these organizations?

A) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
B) American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
C) International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
D) Institute of Safety Ordinances (ISO)

Question 35

Which of the following provides the best conclusion to a set of instructions for children under age 10 on how to assemble a toy airplane?

A) Have fun!
B) --End Of Page--
C) Have fun with your toy airplane, but be careful about how and where you send it off.
D) The propeller should turn as you roll the airplane's wheels. If the propeller does not turn, make sure the wheel axle is turning the gear on the motor.

Question 36

While reviewing a draft of a trip report discussing the importance of a presentation she attended, a writer decides that some readers may not know the meaning of one of the terms she included. Which of the following strategies should the writer use if she wants to clarify the term briefly and unobtrusively?

A) Include a parenthetical definition.
B) Define the term in an appendix.
C) Include an extended definition.
D) Include a sentence definition.

Question 37

Which of the following is an effective sentence definition?

A) Cardiovascular exercise equipment is used by people to exercise their cardiovascular system.
B) A canteen is a clear Nalgene bottle used to hold liquids such as water, lemonade, soda, and sometimes hot beverages.
C) Velo binding is when two plastic strips are placed on either side of the document and bound together with heat.
D) Thermography is a printing process in which a special powder is added to the wet ink on the surface of the paper and then heated.

Question 38

Which two types of organizational patterns are most commonly used for mechanism descriptions?

A) comparison and contrast and general to specific
B) functional and spatial
C) spatial and cause and effect
D) chronological and functional

Question 39

To minimize product-liability lawsuits in the event of improper use of Phillips lawn mowers, which of the following instructions should the company's lead technical writer NOT give to the company's manual writer?

A) Repeat safety information if you think that the repetition will increase the probability of its being read.
B) If our company does not have an appropriate safety symbol, create your own text symbol through the use of highlighting, larger point size, and a text box.
C) For ease of use, place all safety information in the Introduction so that users can read through all of it at once before using the product. Then, in the instruction steps, merely cross-reference to the Introduction.
D) Do not choose safety labels arbitrarily.

Question 40

A writer is creating an employee handbook for assembly-line workers and their supervisors. One particular extended definition is approximately a page long. Where should the writer place this definition if it will be of interest to only the supervisors?

A) in a marginal gloss
B) in a footnote
C) in an appendix
D) in the text