View a FREE sample

This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Part IV: Chapter 20 The Sound of Your Voice.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. Why should interview questions be written before the interview?
(a) To keep the person being interviewed on track.
(b) To avoid having to do it at the interview.
(c) To avoid drawing a blank in the middle of an interview.
(d) To focus the interview around a certain theme.

3. What trap do journalists and editors fall into often?
(a) Using too many commas.
(b) Using cliches and made up words.
(c) Usin too many dashes.
(d) Not doing grammar checks.

4. Why do Americans have trouble writing?
(a) They are not complex enough.
(b) Their minds are too cluttered.
(c) They do too much and slack on their writing.
(d) They are bad at fact checking.

5. How is humor used in writing nonfiction?
(a) It is used to make fun of people without them every knowing.
(b) It is used to practice jokes for stand up comedians.
(c) It is used to bring out points that cannot be made in a straight forward manner.
(d) It is never used. Nonfiction should always be serious.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Zinsser think about this misconception?

2. What happens when writers do not stick to proper grammar rules?

3. What group of people does the author think has the worst type of writing?

4. What is an example of American television shows that use humor to talk about serious issues?

5. What is it that the bad writers mentioned above do that makes their writing terrible?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 368 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample