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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part III: Chapter 16 Business Writing: Writing in Your Job.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why is the English language changing all the time?
(a) It changes because it is a living language.
(b) It changes because people don't know how to speak it properly and are changing the way it is spoken.
(c) It changes because academics choose the best ways to speak English and try to teach that to children.
(d) It changes because of regional differences that make their way outwards.

2. Has the period of political euphemisms improved since the Vietnam War?
(a) Yes, politicians hire better speech writers.
(b) Yes, politicians know how to unclutter their writing now.
(c) No, it is the same.
(d) No, it has gotten worse.

3. What is a common problem writers have?
(a) Starting at the true beginning.
(b) Writing too little.
(c) Not writing at the same time every day.
(d) Writing too much at first.

4. What are Zissner's feelings about writing?
(a) Writing is difficult, but with the right tools, anyone can do it.
(b) Writing is a craft that is developed over time.
(c) Writing is easy and anyone can do it.
(d) Writing can easily be taught.

5. What is a strange but effective way of proofreading to check for errors?
(a) Reading under a blacklight.
(b) Reading a piece backwards.
(c) Reading a story upside down.
(d) Reading through a window.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one task that a good writer constantly does?

2. Why is jargon, or corporate speak, so prevalent in business writing?

3. What stops Americans from writing memoirs?

4. How can uncluttered writing help fiction?

5. What happens when the reader loses interest in the writing?

(see the answer key)

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