Ch.4 Parallelism, Lists, Headings, And Layout Test Bank Docx

Chapter 4

Parallelism, Lists, Headings, and Layout

Multiple Choice Questions

• 1. Formatting and ________ determine a document’s accessibility and usefulness.
     1. design
     2. organization
     3. grammar
     4. accuracy
  2. When readers encounter a document they typically ________.
     1. read it thoroughly from start to finish
     2. start in the middle and then work their way out
     3. scan it for information that is relevant to them
     4. read just the introduction and conclusion
  3. Which of the following is NOT true about parallelism?
     1. It allows you to omit certain words.
     2. It requires less effort to interpret.
     3. It requires good design sense.
     4. It creates elegance.
  4. Repetition and predictability ________.
     1. can make your writing dull and boring
     2. can make your writing seem more “technical”
     3. are a weakness in technical writing
     4. are a strength in technical writing
  5. In technical writing, experiments with form ________.
     1. are not necessary and should be avoided
     2. should be attempted only by advanced writers
     3. can enhance the readability of your document
     4. can add a personal flair to your writing
  6. Vertical lists are especially good for ________.
     1. stacking point form thoughts
     2. adding drama and variety
     3. informal purposes
     4. clarifying the list or drawing attention to it
  7. In technical writing, lists function as ________.
     1. design tools
     2. study tools
     3. grammar tools
     4. work tools
  8. Full sentence lead-ins should be followed by ________.
     1. a colon
     2. a question mark
     3. a dash
     4. no punctuation
  9. Which of the following is a correct way of punctuating full-sentence list items?
     1. first letter upper case, period at the end
     2. first letter upper case, comma at the end
     3. first letter lower case, period at the end
     4. first letter lower case, no punctuation at the end
  10. Which of the following is a correct way of punctuating partial-sentence list items?
      1. first letter upper case, period at the end of each item
      2. first letter upper case, comma at the end of each item
      3. first letter lower case, period at the end of each item
      4. first letter lower case, punctuation at the end of the last item
  11. Which of the following is NOT true about shopping lists?
      1. They are informal.
      2. They contain nouns or noun phrases.
      3. They are also known as fragment lists.
      4. They should begin with a capital letter.
  12. Which of the following is NOT a type of list?
      1. horizontal
      2. nested
      3. directed
      4. laundry
  13. In a horizontal list, items should NOT be separated by ________.
      1. numbers
      2. commas
      3. semi-colons
      4. bullet points
  14. Do not use more than ________ levels of hierarchy in a list.
      1. two
      2. three
      3. four
      4. five
  15. Letters should be used for ________.
      1. secondary (nested) sequential lists
      2. tertiary sequential lists
      3. secondary non-sequential lists
      4. primary sequential lists
  16. Bullets should be used for ________.
      1. primary or secondary sequential lists
      2. tertiary sequential lists
      3. primary or secondary non-sequential lists
      4. any level of non-sequential list
  17. Which of the following is the correct way of formatting the numbers in a numbered list when it is displayed horizontally?
      1. 1.
      2. (1)
      3. 1-
      4. Never place numbered lists in a sentence.
  18. Which of the following is true about headings?
      1. They label paragraphs.
      2. They allow horizontal scanning.
      3. They are the first things readers see when they look at a document.
      4. They should be broad and generic.
  19. Headings should be written in the form of ________.
      1. phrases
      2. clauses
      3. single words
      4. full sentences
  20. Which of the following is the least effective way to differentiate levels of headings?
      1. point size
      2. indentation
      3. typeface
      4. colour
  21. Which of the following is NOT true about serif fonts?
      1. They contain little extra strokes at the ends of letters.
      2. They are easier to read at small point sizes.
      3. They are useful for body text.
      4. They include Arial and Verdana.
  22. Which of the following is an acceptable formatting style to distinguish headings from body text?
      1. serif font
      2. sans serif font
      3. underlining
      4. all caps
  23. Law, codes of conduct, and standard operating procedures typically differentiate heading levels with ________.
      1. numbers
      2. letters
      3. italics
      4. colour
  24. Which of the following horizontal lists is punctuated correctly?
      1. Criticisms levelled at wind turbines include a high level of embodied energy, potential bird strikes, poor aesthetics, and relatively high energy-generation cost.
      2. Criticisms levelled at wind turbines include: a high level of embodied energy, potential bird strikes, poor aesthetics, and relatively high energy-generation cost.
      3. Criticisms levelled at wind turbines include a high level of embodied energy; potential bird strikes; poor aesthetics; and relatively high energy-generation cost.
      4. Criticisms levelled at wind turbines include a. a high level of embodied energy, b. potential bird strikes, c. poor aesthetics, d. and relatively high energy-generation cost.
  25. Which of the following horizontal lists is punctuated correctly?
      1. To remove the six gearbox socket cap screws, follow these steps: remove the two bottom screws, remove the two middle screws, and remove the two top screws.
      2. To remove the six gearbox socket cap screws, follow these steps: (1) remove the two bottom screws, (2) remove the two middle screws, and (3) remove the two top screws.
      3. To remove the six gearbox socket cap screws, follow these steps: (a) remove the two bottom screws, (b) remove the two middle screws, and (c) remove the two top screws.
      4. To remove the six gearbox socket cap screws, follow these steps: remove the two bottom screws; remove the two middle screws; and remove the two top screws.
         

True or False Questions

1. Readers generally don’t want to read the whole technical document.
2. Underline your headings when you want them to stand out.
3. You should never think of headings as separate from the document itself.
4. If you write numbered lists in sentence form, use parentheses to set off the numbers.
5. You should try to avoid indenting a bulleted list under a bulleted list.
6. Headings should be kept broad and generic.
7. Repetition and predictability are weaknesses in technical writing.
8. Use coloured headings only when you have control over the document output.
9. Numbered lists and bulleted lists indicate sequence (items should be read in a specific order).
10. The following is not grammatically parallel: “Writing proposals is time consuming, expensive, and risky.”
11. It is generally better to create longer sections than create more sections.
12. To maintain parallelism, a technical writer should repeat words or phrases, rather than deleting them.
13. Lists are brainstorming tools or shortcuts for technical writers.
14. Only in some cases are lists “work tools” for technical writers.
15. Effective lists can be situated horizontally or vertically.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the difference between logical parallelism and grammatical parallelism? Why are both of these essential when writing lists?
2. What are the two main reasons for choosing to format a list vertically?
3. Describe how to properly punctuate a full sentence list.
4. Describe how to properly punctuate a partial sentence list.
5. What are “shopping lists” and how should they be punctuated?
6. Describe the different usage of bulleted lists, numbered lists, and lettered lists.
7. What are headings and how do they enhance accessibility in technical documents?
8. What guidelines should be followed when writing headings?
9. What are some useful strategies for formatting headings?
10. What is a serif font and why is it useful for body text?

Long Answer Questions

• 1. Describe the meaning and significance of parallelism as it pertains to sentences, lists, and headings.
  2. The first paragraph of this chapter states: “Formatting and organization determine a document’s accessibility and, to a large extent, its usefulness.” Based on what you have learned in this chapter, describe why this is true.
  3. Describe how parallelism and formatting work together to create effective lists. What happens when one exists without the other?