Deck 3: Writing Technical Documents

Question 1

If you don't know whether to write too, two, or to, you should trust the spell-checker to help you decide.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

When drafting a document, you come to an item that you don't understand or that requires more research. What should you do?

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

Chapter 3 lists four techniques for learning from others while revising documents. One technique is surveying, interviewing, or observing readers as they use the existing document. What is one other technique?

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

Chapter 3 lists four steps that are often involved in planning a document. One is generating ideas about your subject. What are two other steps listed in Chapter 3?

Question 5

What are the two major ways to revise a document?

Question 6

You may find that your network of associates, both inside and outside your organization, can help you through sticking points in many of the phases of a writing project.

Question 7

Chapter 3 discusses two questions you should ask yourself to determine the purpose of your document. What are they?

Question 8

Templates are useful because they organize a document for you.

Question 9

Identify one of the strategies listed in Chapter 3 for acknowledging reviewers who contributed significant feedback on your document.

Question 10

Chapter 3 describes the writing process as a series of stages. The first stage is planning. What are the other stages discussed in Chapter 3?

Question 11

One disadvantage of using the Styles feature of a word processor is that you cannot create new styles.

Question 12

When revising documents for technical communication, you should ask two kinds of people for help. One type is subject-matter experts. What is the other one?

Question 13

Styles are preformatted designs for different kinds of documents, such as business letters, memos, newsletters, and reports.

Question 14

According to Chapter 3, using templates can lead to three problems. One is that templates may bore readers. What are the other two?

Question 15

Editing your documents is a way to show respect to your audience.

Question 16

You should choose the method of delivering your document after the document is complete.

Question 17

Even though cultures differ, technical documents tend to be written in a similar way no matter where you go.

Question 18

What is "invisible writing" and how is it helpful to the writing process?

Question 19

The outline view is a word-processing feature that suggests how you ought to outline common types of documents such as letters and memos.

Question 20

Proofreading should precede the editing process.

Question 21

Which of the following terms refers to the technique of writing without restrictions and without stopping?

A) invisible writing
B) freewriting
C) clustering
D) brainstorming

Question 22

What is a benefit of using styles as you draft your document?

A) Styles can help you develop a realistic schedule.
B) Styles ensure consistency in the appearance of elements such as headings, lists, and body text.
C) Styles help you identify errors in grammar and mechanics.
D) Styles help you find spelling mistakes.

Question 23

Chapter 3 discusses three questions to ask about your audience during the planning stage of the writing process. One is "Why and how will the reader use your document?" What is another question to consider during planning?

A) What are your reader's attitudes and expectations?
B) How much time do you have to write the document?
C) Are your readers male or female?
D) Do you have enough money in the budget to pay for usability testing?

Question 24

Which of these questions is NOT likely to help you revise your document?

A) Does the draft meet readers' expectations?
B) Have I left out anything in turning my outline into a draft?
C) Have I kept the project within the available budget?
D) Are the arguments well developed?

Question 25

Chapter 3 describes the writing process as a series of stages. What are the five main steps of the writing process?

A) planning, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
B) brainstorming, researching, organizing, drafting, and editing
C) choosing a template, modifying the template, drafting, revising, and editing
D) planning, outlining, drafting, reviewing, and proofreading

Question 26

Chapter 3 lists five factors to think about when considering your writing situation. Three of these factors are your setting, the document type, and the writing process. What are the other two factors?

A) your audience and purpose
B) your budget and your company's guidelines
C) your team members and your motivation for completing the project
D) legal and ethical considerations

Question 27

Which of these best describes the process of revising a document?

A) reading closely to make sure you do not have errors in spelling and punctuation
B) changing your document to improve style, diction, and mechanics
C) reexamining your draft to see if it serves your audience and your purpose
D) developing an outline of major points you want to make

Question 28

Which of the options below is NOT a question that will help you analyze your setting?

A) Is this a high-stakes project or a low-stakes project?
B) In what type of environment will the audience use the document?
C) Am I writing about a socially or politically charged topic?
D) What do I want the audience to know, believe, or do after reading my document?

Question 29

In which of these stages is the outline view of a document most likely to be helpful for reviewing the document's coherence?

A) the proofreading stage
B) the editing stage
C) the revising stage
D) the post-hoc stage

Question 30

Which statement identifies a benefit of using a preformatted template for your writing project?

A) You can trust that templates always reflect good principles of design and layout.
B) Templates can save you time on formatting and allow you to focus on creating effective content.
C) Templates do not need to be changed; in fact, often you cannot change them.
D) Readers learn to memorize documents made from templates they have already seen.

Question 31

Which word best describes the process of writing technical documents?

A) linear
B) nonlinear
C) static
D) fixed

Question 32

Which of the following does Chapter 3 suggest as a method for effective proofreading?

A) reading the revised portions of your document, which you print in a different color
B) relying on the spell-checker and grammar-checker
C) reading your document slowly and carefully, perhaps out loud
D) reading in a quiet space

Question 33

Which of the options below is NOT a question that will help you analyze your writing process?

A) How much time do I have to create the document?
B) What are my readers' expectations?
C) What is my budget for the project?
D) What writing tools will best meet my project's needs?

Question 34

Which of the following options is NOT a question a writer should ask when editing a draft?

A) Are the paragraphs well developed?
B) Is the design effective?
C) Are all the sentences clear and correct?
D) Is the organization logical?

Question 35

According to Chapter 3, how much time can someone expect to spend planning a writing project?

A) more than one-third of the total time spent on the writing project
B) one hour for every ten pages
C) about one-tenth of the total time spent on the writing project
D) as little as possible

Question 36

Which of the following is a kind of error that writers should look for when proofreading?

A) problems with the organization of the document
B) problems with the design of the document
C) minor errors such as inconsistent spelling, incorrect punctuation, and missing and repeated words
D) problems with paragraph development

Question 37

A team of writers regularly collaborate to produce technical reports that have identical design specifications. Which of the following word-processing tools would best help them to work efficiently?

A) grammar checker
B) branching diagram
C) report template
D) thesaurus

Question 38

According to Chapter 3, today's composition tools can help you do all EXCEPT which one of the following?

A) convert text into infographics
B) keep track of research data
C) translate text into other languages
D) convert handwriting into text

Question 39

Which of these is NOT an effective technique for generating ideas about your subject?

A) creating a cluster diagram
B) creating a branching diagram
C) freewriting
D) creating an index

Question 40

Which of these is NOT an effective statement of purpose for a document?

A) The purpose of this document is to help readers install the 3.0 update to our Wizar-Tater software.
B) The purpose of this document is to help employees understand why they will have to pay higher insurance premiums.
C) The purpose of this document is to change the landscape of enterprise software.
D) The purpose of this document is to explain why the company should adopt a health-promotion program.